Barry Smith started Mountain Sports Kayak School in 1982 as a young lad fulfilling a dream of sharing his passion for kayaking and love for rivers. After working as a raft guide in the Grand Canyon and ski guiding in Flagstaff, AZ, he caught eye of a quaint mountain town in Colorado that had a river running through it and a ski mountain in the backdrop... Steamboat Springs.

 

In the summer of 1980 he moved to Steamboat, 2 years later, he started Mountain Sports Kayak School. His joy was teaching locals how to have fun for kayaking on the Yampa River. He has taught hundreds of locals how to kayak and will forever be a legend of the Yampa River.

 

Barry's eldest son, Marty, started kayaking when he was just 4 years old. Barry was enthusiastic about having a "partner in crime" on the river, so eagerly got him out in a boat at a young age. Marty continued to paddle through his childhood years, joining the mostly adults at Charlies Hole, after school to "surf", or on a lap down the local class IV Fish Creek. Although he was busy with many other activities and sports, he would always find a way to go kayaking. As an adult, Marty started working and teaching at the kayak school under Barrys lead. He has travelled to many places to adventure in his kayak, Norway, Mexico, New Zealand, and the Pacific Northwest. The river has taken him many places, taught him many life lessons and led him to some of his best friends and memories.

 

Eventually, Marty found his way back home to Colorado and he currently continues to share his enthusiasm and passion for the river with local kids, adults and tourists as Barry has handed over the paddle to him to continue on with the Mountain Sports Kayak tradition. 

 

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