As an outdoorsy native Burlingtonian, my relationship with The Skirack/Downhill Edge is a long one, so here goes. You can also Google some of the long-gone businesses and brands mentioned here.

Center Street:

I remember the first Skirack location on Center Street, where the Daily Planet restaurant is today. At 12 years old I wasn’t much of a customer yet, but my brother, my friends and I would frequent Skirack to ogle the bikes from brands like Paris Sport, Gitane, Atala and Crescent, and skis from brands like Rossignol. I even remember seeing a very early carbon bike frame there. They sold Ski Racks too, and one of the best brands was Barrecrafters, made in Shelburne VT by a company owned by Dick Snelling who later became Governor of VT.

I didn’t talk much to the sales people back then, but I do remember the guy with the handlebar mustache. I also remember watching employees and friends of Skirack have a contest in the parking lot to see who could hold a “track stand” the longest. It was amazing to see people balancing motionless on bikes for what seemed like hours. Later on, my brother did get a Paris Sport bike. The frame hung in our basement for years, and might still be in his barn somewhere. When my Uncle Bruce purchased a Campagnolo equipped Crescent for the vast sum of $250.00, he let me ride it around the Cul de Sac on Overlake Terrace. I still remember how special I felt. Although I never became a part of the racing community (too scared to crash) I was hooked on bikes.

Sam gets a job:

My parents were long time outdoor enthusiasts, but they were happy with their 1940s and 50s vintage ski equipment. I remember my mom saying they’d buy us ski boots with laces, but if we wanted buckle boots then we had to pay for those ourselves. I really wanted those buckle boots, so after I got my first job washing dishes at the Kohala Mauna on Shelburne Road, I spent most of what I earned at the Skirack/Downhill Edge, which by then had moved to the current location at 85 Main St.

At that time both Skirack and Downhill Edge were located in the building that houses just the bike floor of the Skirack today. Dave Brooks (founder of the Downhill Edge), Rob Small and Peter Goodell were the guys I remember best. Those were the early days of freestyle skiing, so I bought Olin Mark IV Comp skis and Scott Superlight boots and did my best to imitate the crazy stuff being done by skiers like John Clendenin, Suzy Chaffee, and Deno Dudunake (who later became the Rossignol ski rep). I did it wearing a pair of bright red and blue O’neill neoprene stretch pants that Dave Brooks talked me into. In 1976, I bought my first pair of high-performance running shoes there, the crazy looking Nike Waffle Trainer, and shortly afterward, my pride and joy, a Gordon & Smith Fibreflex Henry Hester Slalom skateboard that I used to get the scar I still wear proudly on my left knee.

Finally, working at the Downhill Edge:

When I started at the Downhill Edge in 1979, I was a 21 year old College student more interested in skis than school. I had worked at another shop just to get the experience necessary to land the job at DHE, and when I finally got it, I really felt like I had arrived. I was now one of the people I had looked up to during my years as a customer, and I was proud to wear the red CB Apollo jacket with the Downhill Edge Patch. The brands I remember selling back then were CB Sports, The North Face, Rossignol, Olin, Kastle, Salomon, Dolomite and others. During the summer we sold and strung tennis rackets, sold sailboards from Bic and Hi-Fly, waterskis from EP and Connelly, and surf inspired summer clothing from brands like Norfleet and Raisins Swimwear.

We also sold running shoes from Nike, Reebok and Saucony that customers could test on a hardwood track in the basement. In the early 80s, one of my coworkers got her haircut in the shag style of the ubiquitous “Raisins Lady” swimsuit model, and I did my best to dress the part of a Vermont surfer dude. I remember sporting long hair, fluorescent hawaiian shirts and some clashing plaid bermuda shorts that our apparel buyer ordered me at a trade show. Another coworker once borrowed some of my wild clothes and won a contest at a downtown party. I now realize I was the early version of Skirack’s own Dale Pavlak! I still spent part of my paycheck on gear, and although my old alpine gear got tossed during one of my many moves, I still have my circa 1984 Rossignol 650 silver nordic skis, and 1980 Windsor Touring Elite bike that I got from the Skirack during that time!

Those were also the early days of ski injury research at UVM by Dr. Bob Johnson and Carl Ettlinger. As a newly graduated Anthropology student, those brilliant guys seemed awesome to me. Dave Brooks was the bootfitting guru in the area, so I did my best to learn from and emulate him. At that point I had a vague idea of the growing science of biomechanics and its relation to sporting goods manufacturing. I worked hard to become an expert at fitting shoes and ski boots, and remember being interviewed in 1985 by Jane Brody for her NYT column “Personal Health” that also featured Johnson and Ettlinger. Around the same time, I was approached by Dr. Dick Alvarez, a UVM foot and ankle surgeon who wanted to know more about emerging running shoe technology and how it might help his patients who were runners avoid invasive surgical procedures. It was Dick who sparked my interest in running biomechanics and footwear manufacture. After leaving the Downhill Edge, and one more short stint at a ski shop, I headed back to school to study the biomechanics of running, then on to jobs in R&D of footwear and materials.

The in-between years:

During the years I lived away from Vermont, I checked in at The Downhill Edge and Skirack every time I came back to town. After Dave Brooks and John Wheeler (co-owner of Skirack) passed away, I still visited the Skirack. I had known that John had a twin brother, but never knew him, so the first time I saw Zandy Wheeler, I must have gone pale for a minute until I realized who he was. I was reminiscing with Karen George a few months ago, when she told me that Zandy used to have a handlebar moustache. It was then I realized that it was probably him I had seen at center street all those years ago.

Back for more:

In 2011, my wife Sharon (we met when I worked at DHE) and I moved back to Vermont to be closer to family and the lifestyle we love. I applied for a job at Skirack, expecting to be here for a couple of years, and that was 8 years ago. I get a kick out of seeing the people I hung out with 40 years ago, and love the stuff we sell and the activities we promote. I have been especially impressed by the nordic ski culture here. Competitive XC skiers are truly tough as nails!