INTERVIEW WITH A FREESTYLE CHAMPION HOLDING AN UNBELIEVABLE RECORD UNDER ONE SECOND
We have already introduced the Czech Champion in Lockpicking to you in the previous article (interview), but now we will visit the champion of records. In 2017, an incredible record was set in the freestyle discipline, when a member of the Czech Lockpicker Association (ACL) team opened the cylinder in less than one second. Mr. Petr Wittner (45) from Prague opened a record time of 0.47 seconds. This record has not yet been broken, perhaps someone will have a luck at this year’s event.
Thanks to this interview we want to lure and motivate other lockpickers to join us or come to compete at least.
Peter, how did you get into lockpicking?
From my childhood I was interested in puzzles, then I found a “huge” box with locks and keys and tried to figure out how such locks work and I tried to open the locks without a key, but as a little boy I could not . Thanks to the Internet, I heard that there was a school in Sokolov about the locks and I registered there. I attended the locksmith training course there and then, thanks to Evžen Ivanov, I got to the Czech Lockpicker Association.
What do you like about it and how often do you train?
In today’s development of cylinders and padlocks, mechanical engineers are involved, trying to develop locks that are resistant to lockpicking and other methods, but almost always the lock can be overcome and I am very excited.
Is your profession associated with locks or is lockpicking a sport / hobby for you?
Yes, I do it mainly professionally. In some time, I have developed this method of lockpicking and I focus more on the safe locks and the area of non-destructive safe locks opening.
What else do you do if you don’t do lockpicking?
It takes me a lot of time to develop and manufacture new tools and fixtures for safe locks. Otherwise, with my girlfriend Jana I like traveling and getting to know the beauty and nature of our republic.
What do your friends say about lockpicking?
Everyone who knows me supports me. And I thank them all.
How did you feel when you opened the cylinder under one second?
At that moment, I didn’t realize it at all. I wanted to win and I trained all year long.
What would you like to say to the lockpickers and future lockpickers?
It is a very beautiful hobby and every opening of the cylinder is motivating to increase the perfection of oneself in this sport. I would like to welcome new fans of lockpicking among us and we could compete with each other and share information. So come to our training or straight to the championship
