Nov. 12, 2025 Glens Falls, NY
John Jacobs of Glens Falls, NY was recently awarded the US Ski & Snowboard (USS&S) Burkett-Dodge Award.
The prestigious Burkett-Dodge award is presented annually by the Eastern Alpine Officials Committee for “outstanding contribution to alpine officiating.”
The Award was originated in 1973, and Jacobs joins an impressive list of volunteer leaders that helped shape the development of the sport over the past 52 years.
Although the Award was intended to be given in 2022, the pandemic put it on hold until this year. The Award was presented in person to Jacobs on October 25th at the North American FIS Technical Director Update at Bromont, Quebec.
Jacobs began his role as an Alpine Official in 2005 as a Jury Advisor at West Mountain, NY. He attained Chief of Race certification also in 2005, and Technical Delegate (TD1) certification in 2013. He was promoted to TD3 in 2024.
In addition to being an Alpine Official, he is an Alpine Course Inspector and serves on three working groups at USS&S. Jacobs is a past Director of the National Ski Areas Association and a current Associate Director of Ski Areas of NY trade association. He owned and operated Reliable Racing Supply and Inside Edge Ski & Bike from 2000 to 2017. Reliable Racing, led by Jacobs, was an early developer of fencing safety systems for ski racing venues. Reliable Racing equipment was used at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic games, and the 2015 FIS World Alpine Ski Championships at Vail/Beaver Creek. Jacobs is also a co-founder of the World Pro Ski Tour, a professional ski racing league that produced its first competition in 2017 at Sunday River, Maine.
Jacobs and his wife Susan have two grown children, Jena Jacobs D.O. currently a resident at Bassett Health in Cooperstown, NY, and John “Jake” Jacobs a businessman and active participant on the pro ski tour.