Rutabaga Paddlesports, a family-owned paddle sports gear retailer near Madison, will close at the end of 2025, owner Darren Bush announced on Sept. 21.
Bush said in a Substack post Sept. 21 he is retiring from retail to pursue certification to become a professional chaplain after more than 30 years at Rutabaga. Bush joined the paddle sports company full time in 1994 before becoming co-owner in 2002 and sole owner in 2007.
But Bush said kayak rentals and Canoecopia, the largest annual consumer paddle sports expo in the world, will continue…