Our History
Whidbey Island Kayaking (WIK) was established in 2002 by Ed Young, who loved to kayak. He was a one-man operation for years, guiding and hauling all the gear from launch to launch and eventually found a home at South Whidbey Harbor. In 2014, WIK was bought by local resident Krista Loercher and soon she encouraged Jeff Jacobsen to join and help. Krista and Jeff both are open water swimmers, former lifeguards, ex-swim coaches and Red Cross water safety instructors with professional backgrounds in business and technology. In other words, they are aquatic-enthusiast, safety-freaks who love Whidbey Island and love caring for and growing WIK.
OUR CORE PURPOSE
We strive to help people nurture their nature, create meaningful memories for themselves and loved ones, and learn about Whidbey’s unique identity by offering safe, fun, and active ways to experience Whidbey Island through outdoor engagement and experiential learning.
OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Positive Mind-Body Connection: We believe that meaningful connection happens when our whole self is engaged, therefore we emphasize human-powered outdoor activities.
Community: We partner with the Whidbey community as much as possible by providing meaningful activities, employing a local workforce, and through strategic partnerships with other local providers. We also constantly advocate Whidbey’s other businesses, producers, and artisans.
Environment: We wish to preserve our treasured island’s rural character, natural resources and its creative artisans. This includes minimizing our own impact and footprint while supporting local efforts to preserve and expand access to Whidbey’s habitats.
Values: We value inquisitiveness, lifelong learning, and being open to new ways and ideas. We vow to treat all with integrity, respect and fairness.
Profit: We must achieve profitable growth in order for us to accomplish our goals. We support this community by the jobs we create, the wages we pay and the tax revenues we generate. Our revenue has an exponential effect when we spend our dollars in our community.
OUR TEAM
Tucker Middlebrook
Tucker has been a guide with WIK for 3 seasons and has a L3 coastal kayaking cert with the ACA. They’ve lived on Whidbey Island all 25 years of their life. One of Tucker’s favorite places on Whidbey is the Saratoga trail system because the erratic is gorgeous and the trails are enchanting. A fun fact they enjoy about the Salish Sea is that it contains many fun species like the giant Pacific octopus, the fasted small cephalopod, and dalls porpoise. Tucker always keeps a Lärabar, fruit leathers, and ginger chews in the front pocket of their PFD for quick access. Someone who has influenced Tucker’s adventurous passions, to not take life too seriously, and to hold the things they love close is Daniel Pohl – a free spirited rock climber from Czechia.
Ryan DJay
Ryan has been staring at the edge of the water all his life not really knowing why. After moving to Washington State in 2008 to attend the University of Washington and receiving his degree in Oceanography and Marine Biology, he chose to stay for the love of what the Salish Sea has to offer. Every turn he makes and every path he takes from working in research labs, outdoor education, bartending, or as South Whidbey High school Soccer coach — he always comes back to the sea. After joining WIK in 2019 who knows how far he will go.
Patricia Friedman
Patricia has lived on Whidbey 18+ years and know so many stories and incredible people which has taught her that community really is family. She balances her outdoor time with event and video production which has allowed her to learn endless stories of Whidbey’s history, arts, music, lifestyle and of course, nature. Her favorite PNW marine mammal is the orca for their strength and family bond and go to island spot on Whidbey is Lighthouse Point in Deception Pass. She is amused how seals galumph on the shore. One most influential person in her life is Dana Moffett who has taught her the joys of playing marimbas. She loves Whidbey and happiest when sharing it with people.
Sue Rogers
Sue spent most of her life land-locked in MT, WY, and ID before settling in the greater Puget Sound where she fell in love with sailing and is now touring on a SUP. Her favorite spot on Whidbey is Bowman Bay on Fidalgo. She loves to go out on her SUP in the evenings as the light fades to dusk. She’s learned that by being quiet and patient she just may be treated to a visit by the harbor porpoises traveling along the bluffs. Her favorite local fun fact is that the name “Salish Sea” has only been recognized since 2010. Her go to paddling snack is dried mangos and favorite fictional hero is MacGyver – the 1980’s television show because of his superb engineering skills and excellent knowledge of applied physics.
Eric Irvin
Eric has lived on Whidbey Island for 8 years and in the Seattle area for 25 years. He has kayaked the waters on and off for years – from the crazy waters of Lake Union in Seattle to areas in the Salish Sea and he has even ventured on kayak trips in Belize, Baja, Fiji, and most recently the Canary Islands in Spain. Eric loves the harbor seals, which he calls “the labradors of the sea” because of their similarities and silly natures, and the Blue Herons for their long-lasting patience for sustenance and crankiness when approaching their territory. You can usually find Eric walking the land trust trails on the island, paddling his SUP on Deer Lake, or hanging out at local establishments. His favorite paddling snack is a Luna Bar and dehydrated mango.
Kalea Staats
This is Kalea’s 3rd season year at WIK, but she has lived on Whidbey Island for 18 years. She loves the beaches on Whidbey and anything having to do with water and the ocean. Her favorite animal is a manta ray and she loves how beautiful and interesting they are. Her favorite spot on Whidbey is Maxwelton Beach, because of the pretty sunset views and also a great spot for paddleboarding. Her go to paddling snack is a Luna Bar. Kalea’s favorite local fun facts – did you know there are 37 species of mammals, 172 species of birds, 253 species of fish, and over 3,000 species of invertebrates in the Salish Sea?
Maci Waldron
This is Maci’s second year with WIK and she is beyond excited to share her love for the outdoors and the ocean with people. The Salish Sea is home to 5 different kinds of pinnipeds and her favorite is the Harbor Seal for their curiosity, intelligence, and huge eyes. Her favorite spot on the island is the wonderful Fort Ebey State Park for its perfect mix of ocean and forest views. She recommends trail mix and a good granola bar for best paddling snacks. Sylvan Esso, who writes songs of free-spirit, love, is one her most influential people.
Tate Waldron
This is Tate’s second year with WIK and his current favorite marine animal is the manatee. When manatees are thriving, so is the environment around them. One of his favorite places on the island is the Putney trail system. He could never get bored running/biking through the beautiful woods. Tate’s favorite fun fact about the Salish Sea is that Whidbey Island is the largest island in the Salish Sea. His favorite paddling snack is a classic granola bar.
Melissa Chevalier
Melissa has been with WIK since 2016. She moved from San Francisco to Seattle in 2015 and loves traveling up to Whidbey to explore the dense forests, beautiful beaches, and enjoys paddling on the calm waters of Goss Lake. She admires the great blue heron for their grace, patience, and strength. Her favorite paddling snack is smoked salted almonds. When she’s not outside on a nature walk photographing the flora and fauna or exploring on her paddleboard she is most likely collaborating with teams and organizations building Human-Centered Design programs, toolkits, and employee engagements… or teaching a Restorative Yoga Nidra class.
Tom Burket
A word- and water-obsessed storyteller, Tom Burket finds endless inspiration in his new home waters of Puget Sound. He and his wife relocated to Seattle from Minnesota in 2022. In 2024, he completed the Seventy48 with a race partner in a tandem kayak, and he also practices with a local Seattle club to learn new skills in outrigger canoeing. His favorite animals are migratory, from sea birds to orcas. Their journeys connect him to distant geographies, regional weather and local habitat. He’s a big fan of Deception Pass State Park, and as a paddling or hiking treat, his #1 choice is a sour apple Jolly Rancher. Tom plays banjo and admires Rhiannon Giddens, Richie Stearns, and Pharis and Jason Romero.
Krista Loercher
Krista has lived on a coastline for most of her life, first in New York, then Seattle and since 2008, on Whidbey Island. She has been a lifeguard, a swim coach, a Red Cross water safety instructor, and open water swimmer. An ACA-certified kayak instructor, she loves introducing newbies to both kayaking and open water swimming. Krista adores otters–river and sea-for their playfulness, and for their backstroke which is her favorite swimming stroke too! Goss Lake is her most happiest place on Whidbey Island. Her favorite Salish Sea fun fact is that the area is defined by Olympia, WA in the south to the Campbell River, BC in the north. She always carries fruit leathers as a paddling snack, but her real indulgence is a little bit a chocolate followed by a swig of coffee. Krista’s most influential artists are Nina Simone, The Beastie Boys, and Marvin Gaye.
Jeff Jacobsen
Jeff is a lifetime learner and teacher who uses his extensive backgrounds in education, technology and the performing arts to help build an environment that provides experiences that enrich the lives of staff, community and our guests. Jeff is responsible for the physical and virtual infrastructure of WIK.
Ani, the WIK Mascot
Ani is a border collie-pointer mix who loves to swim after sticks, seagulls, and frisbees. She loves most treats, but is especially partial to beef jerky and peanut butter cookies. She often is the first team member that our guests meet. She is working on improving her greetings from barks to licks.