Wicket (ski)

A wicket for skiing (also called a ticket wicket) is a short piece of light gauge, bend-resistant wire formed into shape to loop through the clothing of a skier or snowboarder. It serves as a secure attachment point for a lift ticket, or other proof of payment such as a cross country (nordic) trail pass.

Wickets were introduced and patented in 1963 by Killington Ski Resort to reduce ticket sharing. Originally lift tickets were stapled over the wire, but this was soon replaced by self-adhesive tickets.

The use of a wire threaded through a belt loop, waistband, or zipper-pull was a big improvement over previous attachment systems. It prevented damage to clothing by not requiring the lift ticket to be directly stapled or glued to clothing. It made tampering with the lift ticket difficult.

The ticket wicket was licensed to ski areas across the U.S. immediately. It inspired several innovations to make its use more convenient, such as US patent|3662480|ski ticket holder pigtail

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