I do enjoy going to sport picking events. There are now several across the UK, and I know the organisers of most of the events, and sometimes even help out.

Professionally, I have had static from quite a few people, generally the older locksmiths, who are against teaching anything to those outside the industry. However, I feel that it works in the professional locksmiths favour to have an informed public.

Once you know how easy it is to open the £3 cylinder that is probably fitted to your front door, you are more likely to want a proper lock fitted. Sure, you might do it yourself, but if you want a good lock for a good price you are, I think, far more likely to buy one from a trustworthy locksmith locally. And if you want it fitted professionally, well, you are definitely going to go with a recommended locksmith, not some 2 dayer who can’t pick, or a national that charges £80 for a 2 lever lock!

Likewise, you are less likely to stand for a drill-kill to your lock when you know that you can pick it, which drives forward industry standards in a way that locksmiths don’t seem to understand.

At the end of the day, sport picking would happen whether I was there or not, and if you google any lock type you will find footage of it being bumped, picked or otherwise defeated in short order.

Better locks & better understanding of security is a gain to us all, in the long term. Except the criminals, and I couldn’t give a toss about their feelings of depression when they can’t find an easy way in, and move on.