Inside Edge Ski Board Bike 643 Upper Glen St Queensbury, NY 12804 (518) 793-5676
HOURS Mon-Sat 9:30-6 Sun 11-5
ABOUT US
Did you know that Inside Edge Ski & Bike was the fountainhead for our internationally known company Reliable Racing Supply, and that Inside Edge actually started as a rental consession at our local ski area, West Mt.? Read on!
When former Olympian Tom Jacobs and his wife Marilyn moved themselves and their three kids (Jeff, Diana and John) to Glens Falls from Steamboat Springs, Colorado in 1958, it was so that Tom could take a "career" job at the local paper mill Finch, Pruyn & Co. While at Finch, Tom became the Ski School Director at nearby Hickory Hill until 1963 when the Brandt brothers opened their first rope tow at West Mountain, only 5 miles from the center of Glens Falls.
The Brandts offered the Ski School directorship to Tom, and the opportunity to own the rental shop. Tom and Marilyn ran the shop until 1967 as a seasonal "moonlighting" effort. All this was going on even while his "day job" took him to New York City three days a week, every week (busy guy!). One day, he was supposed to board an airplane from Laguardia to Warren County Airport. For some reason, he missed the flight. That airplane crashed into Pilot Knob Mountain on Lake George during its approach to the airport during a thunderstorm. Everyone on the flight perished. Needless to say, it was a defining moment for Tom Jacobs.
The next day, Tom made a decision to quit selling paper and dedicate all his efforts and resources to selling ski equipment in New York and to his ski shop: the Inside Edge. The rest, as they say, is history. In classic entreprenurial style, the Inside Edge flourished into an internationally known and respected company that has made a lasting imprint on the wintersports industry.
INSIDE EDGE & RELIABLE RACING TIMELINE
1968
Inside Edge moves its location from West Mt. to Bay Road in Glens Falls
1968
Inside Edge enters bike business as first Peugeot dealer north of NYC
1968
Tom & Marilyn go full time into Inside Edge
1968
Reliable Racing (parent company of the Inside Edge) offers bamboo and printed racing bibs to local clubs
1969
First Reliable Racing Supply catalog is published, includes racing bibs, bamboo poles, plastic slalom poles, banners and a timing system
1970's
Business moves to Glen Street; RRS begins manufacturing of patented products including Road Ski & Sixtens Heel Wedge, and launches the direct importation of nordic equipment from Sweden
1977
Introduction of the first flexing slalom pole in North America, called Snowfeather
1979
RRS begins manufacturing of Break-A-Way® slalom poles; development & sale of the world's first coin-op timing system to Copper Mt.; First use of flex pole (Break-A-Way) in World Cup competition at Waterville Valley, NH
1980
RRS exhibits at the SIA show in Las Vegas for the first time
1981
RRS lands contract with Labatt to produce the Labatt Ski Machine program with automatic timer developed by RRS
1982
RRS lands contract with Phillip-Morris to produce the Marlboro Ski Challenge with automatic timer
1983
RRS gets slalom pole contract with Sarejevo Olympic Committee. FIS renegs on contract due to "technicality" (read politics) and awards it to an Italian slalom pole maker.
1980's
RRS splits catalog into two: Hill & Event supplies (business-to-business) and Wintersports (consumer) RRS invests in direct-mail computer system - first in the ski industry RRS begins the direct import of helmets for Wintersports Catalog Inside Edge/RRS moves to current location on Glen Street, renovates 30,000 sq ft facility
1987
RRS becomes US Distributor for TAG Heuer electronic timing
1992
RRS becomes US Distributor for Jofa Helmets and ski protective gear
1993
RRS enters golf business with a Golf Course Supply catalog
1998
Break-A-Way official slalom pole of Nagano Olympic Games
1999
Break-A-Way official slalom pole of FIS world championships at Vail/Beaver Creek
