Legendary canoe designer Jim Henry has passed away, leaving in his wake a slew of friends, loved ones, and canoe designs that changed the sport of canoeing.
Henry launched his legacy in 1971 by winning the National Whitewater Open Canoe Championships on Maine’s Dead River in a boat he designed and built himself—the fiberglass Malecite. The 22-mile downriver course combined flatwater, a portage and 16 miles of Class II-III rapids, and Henry’s boat changed the game as when it comes to canoe performance. The win led to the launch of Mad River Canoe with his former wife Kay in Waitsfield, Vermont, which eventually grew to 80 employees and more than 40 different Henry-designed original canoe models before being sold to Confluence Watersports in 1999 (which sold to Pelican International in 2019).
“There’s a deep, almost indescribable affinity for Jim Henry’s designs—one that words can scarcely capture,” says Scotty Byers, product manager for Pelican International, which purchased Mad River as part of its acquisition of Confluence in 2019. “A stroll through the many online enthusiast communities reveals countless stories of nostalgia and discovery: first-time paddlers, breathtaking adventures on epic waterways, and the unmistakable presence of the iconic “Bunny” logo. Jim created more than a respected line of canoe designs; he shaped a culture. His work gave us not just a brand, but a way of life—a means to forge lasting memories perched from the seat of something truly special.”
Another one of Henry’s milestone innovations came in the mid-1970s when he introduced DuPont’s Kevlar into canoe construction. The Henry-designed Explorer canoe quickly became Mad River’s most popular model, with Henry later adding rotomolded construction, Royalex hulls, pre-preg and carbon fiber designs to the mix.
“He was a true legend in the canoe world,” posted former Mad River Canoe employee Lili Colby, now with Mustang Survival. “Gordon and I were lucky to work for Mad River Canoe in the 1990s when it was based in Waitsfield, Vermont, and to learn from Jim firsthand.”
Most recently, Henry and his son Dana teamed up with Adirondack Canoe Co. to release the Trapper, the first model in a new line of canoes labeled Henry Designed.