Industry News
La Plata County Sheriff’s Office has invested in four ski bikes for their officers to use in order to service Purgatory Ski Resort, Colorado. “The ski bike is a tool that the sheriff’s office likes to use to take up to the mountain,” said Frank Sandoval, Undersheriff at La Plata County Sheriff’s Office. Purgatory Ski Resort falls under the patrol of the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office.
Currently, it can take up to 45 minutes for officers to attend call-outs to Purgatory Ski Resort. “We deal with an occasional intoxicated person, sometimes we are dealing with domestic violence up there,” Sandoval was quoted. “Theft of the ski tickets, theft of personal belongings you know, you get some equipment up there — thousands of dollars, that can get taken.” The ski resort can see up to 6,000 guests at peak, so a timely response can make a crucial difference in callouts. The La Plata County Sheriff’s Office anticipates that using the ski bike will shave valuable time from having to put on ski or snowboard boots and get Ski Deputies out on the mountain on their skis or boards.
According to pictures shared on social media, the four bikes purchased by the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office are SkiByk SB200s. The SkiByk SB200 retails for $1,549 but the company offers a First Responders Discount. SkiByk is an American company co-owned by Chris Schuler and Alfie Fernandez, who started the business in 2017.
La Plata County Sheriff’s Office utilizes mountain bikes in summer for patrolling the mountain, so the officers are no strangers to sporting equipment in their line of work. It is unclear however if any of the officers have any experience with ski bikes. “I hear that you have to really maneuver the backside of the bike as opposed to the front ski but there is a learning curve,” Frank Sandoval said in an interview with Albuquerque, NM, based TV channel KOB4.
It will be interesting to see how well the Ski Deputies of La Plata County Sheriff’s Office will be able to maneuver the ski bikes. If you happen to spot one on Purgatory this season, make sure to share a picture with us!
