I have merged the Rutabaga CLOSING and later STAYING OPEN threads into this one thread.
Rutabaga Paddlesports in Madison, Wisconsin, is Closing (NO - Staying Open)
- Thread starter Glenn MacGrady
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I think Daren is selling the company now, so it will remain open, yay!
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His email last night pushes selling inventory and notes he is looking for a buyer. Several prospects it seems, but no deal yet.
My favorite store in the world.
if I was 40 I’d buy it myself. I love Madison and the rivers of Wisconsin are good paddling.
if I was 40 I’d buy it myself. I love Madison and the rivers of Wisconsin are good paddling.Yes! I'm so happy that Rutabaga will be staying open and hopefully be acquired by
another person(s) who will value this business and its customers highly. I have so much respect for Daren and his wife. Can anyone provide an update on Rutabaga's situation?
another person(s) who will value this business and its customers highly. I have so much respect for Daren and his wife. Can anyone provide an update on Rutabaga's situation?
It's too bad but he tried selling it for a year and nothing worked out.
What a shame. Great location for a canoe shop. I’ve bought several canoes there. I hope everyone working there gets a soft landing. The Dayton paddling shop I used also closed a while back. The owner there also expressed a desire to get his life back, to actually enjoy a vacation with his family. Good canoe shops are getting scarce.
And now you can add Canoecopia to things of the past.
Source? Darren was pretty adamant that Canoecopia would continue without him in control of Rutabaga. I think it may even encourage growth in that arena, as some of the weird vendor/store politics will no longer be in play.
From their FB post (https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=canoecopia event)
Dear friends,
It's with sadness that we announce that, after nearly 50 years, Canoecopia will not be held in 2027 or beyond.
Rutabaga Paddlesports is closing down in mid-December, after Darren's attempts to sell the business for over a year. While considering holding Canoecopia in some other form, he and his family decided that, for his health, it's best not to continue.
It was not an easy decision; we all know what this means to the paddlesports community.
The shop will be open for a little while longer, with very good discounts. If you want some Canoecopia pricing, now is the time.
Many thanks, and with gratitude,
Darren and Stephanie Bush
Too bad. I looked forward to it for the past 25 years. All good things must come to an end.
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Got (even a small) lake nearby? The ability to test paddle seemed to be the one thing that was lacking (from what I heard... I've never made the trip myself)
Remember WPASCR's lake isn't big water but it seemed big enough. (again, just an observation- I didn't paddle there)
Remember WPASCR's lake isn't big water but it seemed big enough. (again, just an observation- I didn't paddle there)
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Rutabaga has a small pond right on site and is happy to allow test paddles.
I think Gamma was referring to Canoecopia.
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In that case, I doubt there'd be any test paddles even if there were a lake at the venue. It's too cold in Madison, WI to do it safely in mid-March. I don't know that I've been to Madison in March but I wouldn't be surprised if the lakes are still frozen over. I bought one of my canoes in late Fall when it was just above freezing and Rutabaga wouldn't let me do a test paddle at their store without a lot of cajoling and the promise to bring my drysuit.
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Yeah, there are retention ponds at the applicable event centers, but they are tiny. Enough to get a feel for stability and maneuverability, I reckon. Plus a river about a mile away. Some largeish reservoirs within five miles. Not sure how all that would work with manufacturers. Central Indiana in March isn't warm, but it is generally ice-free.
I think the primary difficulty in replicating a Canoecopia experience would be the merchandise stock and the speaker lineup. Manufacturers would have to bring their own goods and point of sale systems, which could get tricky with state taxes. And a lot of the usual speakers live in traditional canoe country, so it might be difficult to draw a robust lineup.
I dunno, it's an idea at this point. I definitely can't compete with the prior scale, but maybe there is enough interest for a smaller event that can grow.
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