Locksport

Locksport followers enjoy the challenge and excitement of learning to defeat all forms of locks, and often gather together in sport groups to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and participate in a variety of recreational activities and contests.

The earliest known organized group of lock picking enthusiasts is the German club SSDeV (Sportsfreunde der Sperrtechnik – Deutschland e.V.

The creation of the sport group Locksport International in July 2005, founded by Josh Nekrep, Kim Bohnet, and Devon McDormand of LockPicking101.com, helped to solidify the term within the community, and today the term is widely adopted in North America by those who practice the craft for fun and sport.

[7] This philosophy is contradictory to that held by many locksmith organizations,[8] and locksport enthusiasts have come under attack for releasing information about lesser-known vulnerabilities.

[citation needed] Nonetheless, locksport enthusiasts persist in discovering weaknesses in all forms of physical security.

This event attracts lockpickers from various countries, including Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United States, who compete for the highly coveted cup.

"Locksport fans compete in several formats, including head-to-head contests that determine the fastest lock picker.

[15] These conferences include talks on locks and physical security technologies, as well as competitions between participants in different types of opening techniques.

At each of these conventions a dedicated area called "The Lock Picking Village" is set up where contests and presentations are held.

Because lock picking is sometimes viewed as a nefarious craft, locksport enthusiasts uphold a very rigorous standard of ethics.

[16] Though the incidence of lock picking for crime is statistically low,[citation needed] locksport enthusiasts feel they must uphold such strict standards to refute the common misconception that they are participating in illegal activities.