Locksport Legends

LPU LOCKPICKING LEGENDS

While there are many lock pickers around the world, there are a few that stand out far beyond others. Acheiving a Black Belt in the LPU is impressive without a doubt, however these legends of locksport have accomplished feats far beyond that.

Once a person has reached the rank of Black Belt, another system emerges called Dan Points. Essentially locks are rated based on their difficulty and award points. These points translate to Dan Ranks. There is currently a max rank of Dan 20.

These lock pickers have achieved a Dan ranking of 15 or higher in the LPU.

Want to know more about the Dan System? Check out the LPU Belts break down.

Yabende - Dan 18

Yabende is from Poland and joined the LPU in October of 2020. Since then he has picked countless black belt locks. He is currently working on picking Nato Meresy and Kromer Protector to name a few. Some of the locks he has picked are regarded as the hardest locks known to date including: the Western Electric 30C, Opnus MMXII, and the Fichet F3D. While he may be one of the elite of locksport in our eyes, he is humble and prides himself on his contributions to the community of locksport.

The volume of locks Yabende has conquered is too vast to list here. To really grasp just how good he is, you can visit his LPUBelts profile here.

Check out Yabende on YouTube @yabende

Retep - Dan 18

Retep started his adventure through the LPU in September of 2021. Retep has proven time again the extent of his ability. Most notably Retep has picked some of the hardest locks such as: Kromer Protector 2030, Fichet F3D, Opnus Memolis, and the Opnus MMXII. While Retep is an amazing picker, his unrelenting desire to strengthen and build the community through support and knowledge is without flaw.

Unfortunately at this time we cannot find Retep’s LPUBelts profile.

To see Retep in action visit his YouTube Channel @RetepReyem

Rein - Dan 17

Reinder Stegen aka Rein our lovable yet quirky stroopwaffle enthusiast and avid cyclist, joined the LPU in August of 2020. A frequent flier in the Discord Rein obliterates the locks he touches. With amazing speed such as a 45 second DOM Twinstar opening. Rein has vanquished such locks as: the Western Electric 30C, Opnus MMXII, Opnus Memolis, Protec2, and the Miwa PR.

Rein’s extensive library of picked locks can be found here.

Catch Rein’s picking on his YouTube @reinderstegen

Jeff Sitar - Safe Cracker Extraordinaire

You could not talk about locksport legends without mentioning Jeff Sitar. Begining his career as a locksmith at twelve years old, hailing from New Jersey Jeff manipulated his first safe at the age of 15. Having won the Lockmaster’s International Safecracking Competition eight times his skill was unmatched. Jeff possessed a skill few and far between ever obtain. Spending a lifetime honing his skill he could feel what few could ever dream of, even demonstrating his ability to use a safe dial to feel a feather. As a locksmith Jeff cracked hundreds of safes a year for the FBI, Secret Service, and all the major banking institutions.

Unfortunately the world lost this legend too soon in 2019 at the age of 57.

You can find some of Jeff’s television appearances here and here.

Infamous Locksport YouTubers

While these pickers may not have picked the most locks, or cracked the hardest locks known to man; they have achieved notoriety for their prescence in the community for their contributions via entertainment or informative videography.

Sandman

This Texan lock magician is the next up and coming black belt. Sandman’s lockpick reviews are unparalleled. With a rigorous and in depth comparison with each set of picks he reviews, if you’re not sure what picks to buy next, or if they’re any good, Sandman has you covered.

Check him out @sandman_locksport

Lock Noob

Lock Noob is one of the greatest british lock pickers. His videos on how to pick a lock are some of the clearest and most well put together. Many pickers owe their success to the roads paved by Lock Noob. If you’re ever struggling with a lock, there is a good chance there is a Lock Noob video to help you out.

Check him out @LockNoob

Honorable Mentions

MartinHewitt

We would like to recognize MartinHewitt for his contributions to safe cracking. While currently unbelted, Martin is the go to guy for all safe lock questions. His knowledge in the field of safe cracking is unmatched.

Ready to start your adventure to become a locksport legend? Join the LPU Discord. Just remember DONT BREAK RULE 2!!

Sept is the best mod.