About Us

Welcome to Tahoe Mountain Sports

Family owned and operated by Dave Polivy and Pam Jahnke, Tahoe Mountain Sports is based in Kings Beach, California, on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe.

Quality Outdoor Goods

We know why you're here-for the gear. That's why we keep our products at the forefront of everything we do. From ensuring we carry brands that top industry quality and environmental standards to personally testing our products to know we're selling you the best, Tahoe Mountain Sports is a place you can trust to bring you quality outdoor gear, clothing and footwear.

Old-Fashioned Customer Service

Give us a call, email or instant chat, and you'll see the Tahoe Mountain Sports difference. Instead of being routed to a call center, you'll get Dave, Todd, Ryan, Pam or Meaghen, or whoever is working at the time, and they'll tell you what's up. New to kite surfing and need a trainer kite? Going ultra-lite on a thru-hike? Need a ski jacket to take you from AK to CA? Our personalized service will have you outfitted in no time.

Forward-Thinking eCommerce

We are constantly improving our site and services, testing the waters on innovations in web design, marketing and social media. You'll see our site now has Facebook Connect features, including "Like" buttons on our products, and other social capabilities. Plus, we experiment with Locayta technologies to improve your shopping experience across any web-connected device, all to ensure we stay afloat in the ever-changing way users surf the internet.

TMS From the Start

Tahoe Mountain Sports was founded in 2004 by David Polivy, Rick Papaleo and Jeremiah Skirvin in Truckee, California. An ecommerce operation from the start, TMS operated solely online for its first three years, sprouting a loyal clientele from the trio's trademark customer service and contagious love of the outdoors. David acquired ownership along with his wife, Pam Jahnke, on May 1, 2007, and threw open the doors of the first TMS retail store, located on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe in Kings Beach, California. Though the brick-and-mortar location had a footprint of only 1,000 square feet, a mighty online presence kept the unassuming space bustling with business. TMS expanded to its current 2,500 square feet in late 2009, and employs a staff of 7 to keep operations simple and smooth.

Environmental Responsibility

Our retail business doesn't just thrive on the outdoors, we do. We do our part by not only running a low-impact business but also by promoting Leave No Trace ethics to ensure we all respect the water, soil, snow, ice, rock, grass and sand on which we recreate.

Based on scientific studies and common sense, Leave No Trace has seven guiding principles: Dispose of Waste Properly, Leave What You Find, Minimize Campfire Impacts, Plan Ahead and Prepare, Respect Wildlife, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces, and Be Considerate of Other Visitors. We at Tahoe Mountain Sports abide by these principles ourselves, and also strive to spread the word to our customers. In 2010, we partnered with Leave No Trace on Facebook, pledging to donate $1 for each new fan in a two-week span. Thanks to an outpouring of new fans, we donated $712 to the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. We continue to act as a Leave No Trace partner, so look for trainings and other LNT events at our shop.

In the store, we reuse boxes and packing materials as much as possible, then recycle everything that can be recycled. We buy from companies that are environmentally responsible, like Patagonia, Reef, Marmot, Icebreaker, Klean Kanteen, Horny Toad and more. Best of all, TMS owners, Pam and Dave, live one mile from work and look to hire others who live locally. Who doesn't envy that commute!

Community Focus

We love Lake Tahoe, and believe strongly in supporting our local community and giving back. Tahoe Mountain Sports supports local nonprofits like the North Tahoe Business Association, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, Kings Beach Head Start Program, Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Rim Trail Association. We also back a multitude of annual events, including the July 4th Run to the Beach in Kings Beach, Reno River Fest, Earth Day Tahoe Truckee, the Great Ski Race, Passport to Dining and Kings Beach Clean-Up Day. We even get in on the fun of event planning, hosting the annual Tahoe Mountain Sports Disc Golf Tournament in Tahoe Vista. We belong to the North Tahoe Business Association and North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce, and our owner, Dave, is involved in the Silicon Mountain group, a local networking group for those in the tech business.