It seems like each week there’s a post on the Whistler Winter Facebook group detailing a missing set of skis or a snowboard. For most postings, the item is sadly never found.
But for Laura Hasted’s son, Ryder, their story ended differently. On Dec. 29, Ryder and his father left lot 6 and drove home to Pemberton. When they arrived, they realized Ryder’s snowboard, a Jones Tweaker, wasn’t in their vehicle.
Laura said Ryder’s dad went back to look for the board and it was already gone about an hour later.
“My son was pretty upset," she said. "It was a new board that I purchased at the end of last season.”
Having spent his entire childhood in Ski School at Whistler Blackcomb, riding is a huge part of her aptly named son’s life. Getting the board back was the ideal outcome for Laura, with the park board costing upwards of $600.
“His father returned the next day, and it still was missing," she said. "We thought someone thought ‘finder’s keepers’ and that was that.”
Laura decided to post on the Whistler Winter and Whistler Lost and Found Facebook pages, a choice that can sometimes result in judgmental comments from the wide-ranging audience.
“Some people think Whistler Winter shouldn’t be for that stuff, but it has a larger reach than the lost and found page. While there were some negative comments, for the most part people were very supportive,” she said.
“I personally felt making a post was necessary and that’s what brought us to finding it. Would it still have been returned? Probably. But it felt like posting created the awareness. It was such a quick turnaround. I know some people don’t like using the page for that, but you want the most people to see it.”
The next day, she rented her son a board and they were on-mountain when good news came their way. A staff member at Whistler Blackcomb had found the board in the parking lot.
“It was awesome people working for the mountain took care and returned it," she said. "Despite all the changes Whistler has gone through, there’s still the under layer of community and small-town vibe. Most people want to return something if they find it.”
Laura encourages other people to use social media to their advantage when on the hunt for a treasured item. Another idea she’s come up with after the incident is putting a name and number on the board. Her son is happy to have his board back.
“He was just so grateful," she said. "He’s so stoked to have his board back.”
