Joe Potoczak

White Haven

Digital Editor at Paddling Magazine

Digital Editor at Kayak Angler Mag

Writer. Outdoor activities enthusiast. Digital editor @paddlingmag

Articles

The Hurricane Santee 116 Sport: Why This Enduring Kayak Remains A Recreational Favorite

4 days ago | paddlingmag.com | Joe Potoczak

What makes for a best-selling recreational kayak? To answer the question, consider the Santee 116 Sport from Hurricane Kayaks. This kayak is a perennial favorite among paddlers seeking a boat for day trips on their local waterways and road trip destinations. It is lightweight, comfortable, and has a stable shape, yet it glides through the water with ease.
How MKC Navigated An Existential Transition

3 weeks ago | paddlingmag.com | Joe Potoczak

At 20, a chronic shoulder injury and some disillusionment with guiding culture brought Stefi van Wijk back to her family’s kayak school, the Madawaska Kanu Centre. The injury kept her from teaching, so she found other ways to help. Soon she was assisting her mom Claudia Kerckhoff van Wijk with the business side of the iconic kayak school in Ontario’s Ottawa Valley.
The newest kayaking gear from this brand inspired by a morning cup of coffee

3 weeks ago | paddlingmag.com | Joe Potoczak

The team at Level Six were sitting around the office, mulling over an infamous issue for whitewater kayaking gear when CEO Stig Larsson found inspiration in his morning coffee. In whitewater kayaking, it’s not uncommon for athletes pushing the boundaries of the sport, running towering drops, to have the sprayskirt detach from the cockpit on impact. After years of roundtable talks and reviewing footage with team athletes, Level Six made an interesting discovery.
The South Coast Of Oregon Holds More Wild Rivers To Paddle Than Anywhere Else In The Contiguous U.S.

1 month ago | paddlingmag.com | Joe Potoczak

If you were to drop a pin in the center of Curry County, Oregon, along the border of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, you would be able to reach five waterways designated as U.S. Wild and Scenic Rivers within 40 miles of each other—the Rogue, Illinois, Chetco, Smith, and Elk rivers. It’s the highest concentration of any one county within the contiguous United States.
How To Transport A Kayak Without A Roof Rack

1 month ago | paddlingmag.com | Joe Potoczak

A small obstacle like not having a roof rack is no reason to let the world get between you and going kayaking. Yes, roof racks look cool and are great for stacking multiple boats on your car to safely haul down the highway. But you know what? When all you have is the bare roof of a sedan, it’ll do.
Five Innovations That Could Change Paddlesports Forever

2 months ago | paddlingmag.com | Joe Potoczak

Once you filter out the PR spin, it can feel as if the technology of paddling is standing still. After all, many of the materials and methods we’ve used to produce boats, paddles and apparel have changed little in decades. That is, until recently. Whether due to fallout from supply chain woes, rising materials costs or legislation (see Bracing For The Coming PFAS Ban), the last couple of years have seen some exciting advances in paddlesports manufacturing.
Best Inflatable Paddleboards For 2025

2 months ago | paddlingmag.com | Joe Potoczak

Inflatable standup paddleboards have revolutionized the sport of SUP. They store in oversized luggage bags to transport, often include a pump and breakdown paddle, and provide ease in the ability to access arguably the most relaxing form of paddling there can be. Oh, and there’s no shortage of budget-friendly options out there. When I first set eyes on an inflatable years ago, I thought they were a gimmick, and wondered who would want one in place of a fiberglass layup.
Best Kayaks For 2025

2 months ago | paddlingmag.com | Joe Potoczak

The number of kayaks available today is astonishing. The kayak is at least 4,000 years old and was invented as a productive means to secure food and travel. Fast forward to 2025, and tens of thousands of people take to the water every year using kayaks for various reasons, including our modern necessity—yearning to spend time outdoors and recreate. However, the conundrum we find ourselves in is the number of options and just which kayak is the best. It’s a nearly impossible question to answer.
How To Choose The Right Kayak Paddle

Feb 12, 2025 | paddlingmag.com | Joe Potoczak

Here’s a wild fact: Kayakers take thousands of strokes every hour. So while picking a kayak paddle may seem as easy as grabbing something with two blades to propel you through the water, it’s actually one of the most important pieces of gear to consider. Having the correct information to help you choose a paddle is key because if your gear doesn’t suit you it will likely end up in the corner of the garage, collecting dust with disuse because it was so uncomfortable to use.
Q&A With Charlie Walbridge On 30 Years Of River Rescues

Jan 16, 2025 | paddlingmag.com | Joe Potoczak

No name is as synonymous with river rescue as Charlie Walbridge. Walbridge was a driving force in kayak and canoe instruction at its dawn in the 1970s. He co-created the swiftwater rescue clinic and literally wrote the book on it. For three decades, Walbridge has also volunteered as the chronicler of American Whitewater’s Accident Database, an indispensable trove of incidents providing empirical knowledge to the river-running community. The database holds more than 3,000 accounts.