Rutabaga Paddlesports expands its rental and outdoor programs to Marshall Park.
Rutabaga Paddlesports of Monona is expanding its rental and instructional base to Marshall Park, a 37-acre park that is easily accessed from Century Boulevard. The west end of Lake Mendota offers beautiful views and clear water to west Madison and Middleton residents.
“We’re busy here at our home site in Monona,” said Darren Bush, owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports. “Our rental fleet is constantly in use here, and we also do test paddling onsite too. We wanted to expand our offerings, and we noticed the Marshall Park facility was empty and had been for a while. We wanted to bring it back to life.”
“We look forward to piloting a new amenity at Marshall Park this summer, providing the opportunity for the public to rent kayaks and SUP boards on Lake Mendota,” said Claire Oleksiak, Community Services Manager for Madison Parks.
Marshall Park is ideally located for exploring the northwest shores of Lake Mendota. “The prevailing winds are from the northwest, creating a calm area along the shore all the way to Governor Nelson State Park and beyond. It’s a beautiful stretch of the shoreline,” said Bush.
Rutabaga Rentals West will have weekend rentals starting Saturday, May 14th, and will open Thursday through Monday starting the 27th of May. Tuesday and Wednesday are reserved for private functions, instructional use and other events.
Offerings will include tandem and single kayaks, as well as a fleet of Stand-up Paddleboards (SUPs). “We are seeing fabulous growth in that category,” said Bush. “The multiple uses are becoming more evident. Yoga, fishing, fitness, and just spending time on the water are all great ways to use a SUP board.”
Rutabaga Paddlesports is committed to using only the best equipment in their rental fleet. “We’re going to use tried-and-true products that will provide the best experience for the customer. If we don’t sell it at the shop, we won’t use it for our rentals.”
In addition, Rutabaga Outdoor Programs will be using the western location to offer special programs and events. “We want to give western Dane County residents a chance for private lessons and other offerings, and will be expanding these in the future,” said Nancy Saulsbury, Director of Rutabaga Outdoor Programs.
Rutabaga Paddlesports is an award-winning specialty retailer, named Paddlesports Retailer of the Year a record nine times, was one of the top eight outdoor specialty retailers in 2015, and was listed as one of the 50 Best Places to Work in Outside Magazine in 2012. Rutabaga is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
For more information, contact Rutabaga owner Darren Bush at darrenb@rutabaga.com or call him at 608-576-2885.
