Clearwater Sports Celebrates 50 Years of Adventure in the Mad River Valley

This year, the Mad River Valley is celebrating a remarkable milestone: 50 years of Clearwater Sports — a business that has helped define outdoor recreation in Central Vermont and has become woven into the very fabric of our community.

Clearwater Sports began in 1975, not with a grand plan, but with curiosity, grit, and a love of the outdoors. Founder Barry Bender arrived in Vermont in the early 1970s on a whim, following friends from Cincinnati and bringing with him a background rooted in community work, creativity, and connection. A Long Island native with an affinity for the ocean, Barry found something familiar in Vermont’s rivers and landscapes — and a place to build something meaningful.

In those early days, Barry lived in a group home in Warren he fondly describes as a commune, growing food, working collectively, and helping neighbors restore barns. Like many early Valley transplants, he pieced together a living through a wide range of seasonal jobs. Then, in 1975, while living on a farm in Moretown, he bought a few canoes and began renting them out. Clearwater Sports was born.

There were plenty of lessons learned along the way. “The first year I lost every boat in the river,” Barry recalls. “Then I found out about Mad River Canoes. Things just evolved.” What followed was a steady, organic growth shaped by community needs and a changing outdoor landscape.

After a brief stint in the Bridge Street Marketplace, Clearwater Sports moved to its current location in 1983. Over time, the shop grew alongside the evolution of outdoor recreation itself — expanding from canoes into windsurfing, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, bikes and mountain bikes, tubing, snowshoes, backcountry gear, and outdoor clothing for every season.

Today, Clearwater Sports is proudly Central Vermont’s four-season source for outdoor clothing, gear, and guided adventures. From canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and tubing the Mad River and nearby lakes in summer, to backpacking and hiking in warmer months, and backcountry skiing and snowshoeing in the heart of winter, Clearwater has helped generations of residents and visitors alike get outside and enjoy this place we call home.

Barry led his first full-moon canoe paddle in 1977 and soon after began offering kids’ camps and workshops — experiences that introduced countless young people to the outdoors. Many of those campers now return with their own children and grandchildren, a testament to the deep roots Clearwater Sports has put down in the Valley.

Now in its 50th year, Clearwater Sports embodies what makes the Mad River Valley business community special: authenticity, adaptability, and a genuine commitment to people. The store’s longtime motto — “putting people and the outdoors together” — is more than a tagline. It reflects a way of doing business that prioritizes relationships, stewardship, and shared experiences.

From the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce’s perspective, Clearwater Sports is a true cornerstone business — a trusted resource for locals, a must-stop shop for visitors, and a place that has helped shape the Valley’s identity as an outdoor destination for five decades.

“The best part is the people,” Barry says. “The fun stories and the good memories.”

We couldn’t agree more.

On behalf of the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce, congratulations to Barry and the entire Clearwater Sports team on 50 years of adventure, community, and connection. Thank you for all you’ve contributed to the Valley — and here’s wishing you fair rivers, fresh snow, and another 50 years of putting people and the outdoors together.