Talking Paddling and Canoecopia with Whitney Bush in Madison
The Bush family in Madison, Wisc., are major names in the paddling community of the Upper Midwest. Darren Bush is the owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports in Madison. Rutabaga is the business that buys the merchandise that is sold at Canoecopia, and more or less makes the event happen. It came as a surprise to many in the paddling community when Darren announced Sept. 21 that he would be closing Rutabaga. He vows Canoecopia will carry on, including in March 2026. The news of Rutabaga closing is all over the news this week in Wisconsin.
Darren’s daughter, Whitney, is a teacher in New York. Joe from Paddle and Portage spoke with Whitney at Canoecopia 2025, months before Darren decided he would be closing Rutabaga. Whitney is an avid paddler, including annual summer trips to the Boundary Waters.