In 1971,
Mad River canoe founder Jim Henry was so frustrated in his search for a canoe designed for the rigors of wilderness paddling, he decided to build his own. That same year, Jim entered and won the Down River competition in the National Whitewater Canoe Championships. Immediately, requests for Jim’s new canoe design came flooding in, and he quickly set up shop in a shed on his small Vermont property. He named his new canoe company after the Mad River, which flowed near his home. Within a year, demand for
Mad River canoes surpassed Jim’s production capability, and he soon upgraded to a fu
... Learn more about Mad RiverSince its inception, Mad River has received three "Canoe Manufacturer of the Year" awards from Canoe and Kayak Magazine and Mad River remains the only three-time winner of that award. Mad River canoes are prized for their highly functional designs for fishing, challenging whitewater or flat-water canoe touring. If you seek the adventures of wilderness paddling, don’t settle for anything less than a Mad River canoe. ... Less
