CB Vaughan - Ski racer, skiwear manufacturer
REMEMBERING CHARLES BIRD “CB” VAUGHAN, JR
JULY 16. 1941- JANUARY 26, 2025
Charles Bird "CB" Vaughan died on January 26, 2025 at his home in Cedar Crest, NM of natural causes.
Born to Charles and Alice Vaughan in Ridgewood, NJ, CB’s family fortuitously moved to Manchester, Vermont when he was 3 years old. While his parents were the owners/operators of The Red Doors Inn, CB was educated in one-room school houses and began his skiing career at Bromley Mountain in the Junior Instructional Ski Program (JISP) along with his 5- and 6-year-old buddies.
He attended Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester for one year and then matriculated to Vermont Academy in Saxons River, VT. He would later credit his time there “as one that gave him discipline and accountability-traits that later helped him to meet all of life’s challenges and rewards.” While at Vermont Academy, CB continued to hone his racing skills captaining the team in his senior year.
Graduating in 1959, CB entered St. Lawrence University the following fall. His 4 years at St. Lawrence propelled his racing career. Included in his many victories were several “Skimeister” awards as he competed in all four events (downhill, cross country, jump and slalom) for the Saints. His strongest events were in Alpine, and he was EISA Champion in 1963 as well as North American Alpine Champion the same year. His greatest aspiration was to make the 4-man US Olympic Team in 1964. Unfortunately, he finished 5th in the Team Competition at Stowe, Vt and fell short of making the team. However, in the process of training he and fellow team member, Dick Dorworth co-set a World Speed Record on skis at 106.53 miles per hour.
Following graduation from St. Lawrence in 1964, and failure to make the Olympic Team, CB realized that he needed to “get a “real job – and fast”! After three years at AMF working for Voit, he realized that he was not cut out for corporate America and, with modest money from his racing career and the support of his first wife and business partner, he launched CB Sports.
Starting out in 1969 as primarily a single-product company making side-zip warm up pants, CB Sports quickly gained traction in the ski industry, causing CB to rent his first manufacturing space in Bennington, VT to control the quality of his product. Pouring the energy that had been his hallmark in racing into the design and manufacture of an expanding offering of ski apparel products, the company crested the $1 million mark in sales by 1975. There after CB Sports was on a “rocket ride.”
In business “promises made, promises kept” creates success. CB’s personal charisma, creativity, and attention to detail, plus his obsessive concern about the value and quality of his product, continued to fire his success as the company capped sales at $45 million by the late 1980’s.
In CB’s own words, “In the first few years I was the designer, patternmaker, salesman and road warrior. First year’s sales were $90,000 with 18 accounts. Our rocket ship ride for CB Sports began with my continuing focus at creating exciting, innovative ski and outerwear. Bennington, Vermont became our head quarters for CB Sports, our warehouse and our first CB Sports store and the home for 200 incredibly loyal employees.” Along the way, CB created a company culture that was exciting, magnetic, and fast-paced. He attracted talented people internally and externally, including a first-class sales team, that propelled the company to heights only a true entrepreneur could envision. A “rocket ride it was.”
In 1990 CB retained Merrill Lynch to accomplish a merger for CB SPORTS to cement and continue its growth. He remained with the new entity for 9 months, then deciding to sell his remaining shares and depart the company.
In the following years, CB was involved with several different businesses and many consulting projects eventually settling in California to aid his then partner in purchasing and operating 2 Cold Stone Creamery ice cream businesses. Each was very successful with the Seal Beach, CA store becoming one of the top five locations out of the 120 stores in the territory. After many years in the business, CB and his partner retired to Cedar Grove, NM where they were living at the time of his passing.
CB was inducted into the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum’s Hall of Fame in 2013, the St. Lawrence University’s Hall of Fame in 1984, the Vermont Academy’s Hall of Fame in 2013 and received the Florence R. Sabin Distinguished Alumni Award from Vermont Academy in 2013. His success in the ski industry remains unparalleled and astounding. His skill in design and savvy in carrying styles onward from year to year established CB products as admired, identified and signatory. Few companies have ever achieve the growth and impact that he had on the ski industry.
CB is survived by his son Chase (Charles B. Vaughan III), partner, sister, niece, and nephews. Contributions may be made in his honor to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation or The International Skiing History Association.