One of the award ceremonies at LockCon is for a competition that takes a year. Every year, Toool has a competition with about 26 locks that are taken to all our meetings. Members of Toool can set a time on the opening of these locks and repeat doing so, improving their times as they learn more about the lock and how to pick it. It is very helpful in improving your technique but of course it is quite different from the lockpicking competition in which you get a lock you have never seen before and need to open it.

This years’ results are to be found at https://toool.nl/competitie2019/.

1. Walter
2. Jos
3. Christian
4. Tom
5. Adam
6. Rob

(Post by Walter)

The lever lock picking championship has been part of LockCon for a few years now, thanks to Jord who set it up. This year, our friends from Italy brought with them a setup for a competition including locks in nice stands and tools to open them. The locks needed to be picked 4 times, for a full 360 degree turn. LEDs on top showed the progress.

There were 29 participants. In the first round, people needed to do one opening on one lock. The fastest 16 went on to the semifinals. Four groups of 4 would get 5 minutes per each of 4 locks. The best of each group, plus the best runner-up then participated in the final.

The final score was as follows:
1. Julian
2. Alex
3. Christian
4. Torsten
5. Nigel

(post by Walter)

The Dutch Open is one of the oldest lockpicking contests in the world – and the most international. This year, we had to cap the number of attendees to 66.

In the first round, 6 groups of 11 people were formed. They each needed to open 11 locks in at most 5 minutes each. The 2 best of each table then progressed. Then there were 2 shoot-out rounds, where 2 people would compete one to one, opening two locks in 15 minutes per lock maximum. That left three finalists and three people in the B finals.

I had high hopes and in the first round I opened 11 locks in a total time of 4 minutes and 1 second, the fastest of my table. But unfortunately for me, I was eliminated in the second round. The people who progressed get 6-pin locks and dimple locks to open.

The results were as follows:
A-Finals
1. Marc
2. Manfred
3. Julian
B-Finals
4. Oli
5. Max White
6. Robert

(Post by Walter)

For the 11th time in a row, Toool has organised LockCon, the international conference on lock sport. Before that, it was the Dutch Open Lockpicking Championship, and this championship is now incorporated in LockCon, together with an impressioning competition and a leverlock competition.

With over 100 attendees last weekend, it was bigger than ever, but it still retained that cosy family get-together feeling. Information sharing, meeting up with old friend, meeting new friends, swapping locks and participating in championships in a relaxed environment, where everybody participates in making it a success is what it’s all about.

It was nice to see delegations from all parts of the world, from nearby to far away (even including Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand).

I would like to thank our sponsors, beginning with Abus, long-time sponsor of the many locks and blank keys for the impressioning competition. Datagram sponsored the badges and trophys. All the prizes were sponsored by Sparrows, Multipick, TOKOZ, PACLOCK, Parmakey, M2 serrurerie and Oli.

(Post by Walter)

Yes – we are still in 2018. But.. the date for LockCon 2019 is already known!

LockCon 2019 will be held October 25-27, 2019, in Castle De Berckt in Baarlo, Netherlands (the same place as previous years). Arrival the 24th in the evening is possible, as is leaving the 28th if you wish.

Registration will be possible a number of months before the event starts, so no need to mail us already, this is just so you know when to reserve LockCon in your agendas.