The Boathouse: Urban Oasis and Place To Connect
Pier 84 Boathouse is in the Hudson River Park. There is a 4.6-acre protected cove between the Boathouse and the Intrepid Museum.
Inside: lounge, boat storage, changing rooms, restrooms, lockers. Outside: patio, boat staging, dock.
Meet The Team
More than a company, we’re a collective of kindred spirits.
Eric Stiller
Founder Eric brings kinetic energy, humor, and decades of river mastery to every trip. He’s passionate about helping people connect their bodies to the water through good technique. Raised on the water by his father Dieter, Eric began paddling at age 3 and has logged over 15,000 miles on kayaks and paddleboards.
Eric worked alongside his father at Klepper America in Union Square from 1983 to 1995, outfitting and training elite clients, including U.S. Navy SEALs.He authored Keep Australia on Your Left, chronicling his 6,000-mile kayak and bicycle journey along the Australian coast. His blend of physical energy and deep experience underpins the spirit of MKC.
Jay Cartagena
General manager, lead guide, and instructor, Jay welcomes kayakers from their first strokes through their greatest adventures. With patience, warmth, and a spirit of connection, Jay steadily guides the NYC paddling community forward.
Suzy Basu
Managing partner Suzy is the fiery core behind MKC, shaping programming, guest experience, and the physical space. She leads with precision and belief in MKC’s mission of adventure, education, and community.
Stacey Hull
Paddleboard instructor, kayak guide, and manager, Stacey channels the rhythm, flow, and radiant energy of dance onto the river. She helps paddlers find balance, confidence, and joy through deep body awareness.
Judy Dong
Paddleboard instructor and manager, Judy shares endless positivity, thoughtfulness, and joy to every session. Whether on a board or in a HIIT workout, she lifts the energy of everyone around her.
Davis Janowski
Kayak guide and historian, Davis leads paddlers through NYC’s waterways with expert skill and rich storytelling. His waterfront history programs, sharp navigation awareness, and community spirit help paddlers connect with the many layers of the city’s shoreline.
Andrew Villalobos
Kayak guide and outdoor educator, Andrew brings strength, warmth, and a calming spirit to every trip. With a steady hand, a kind heart, and a nurturing approach, he helps paddlers build confidence and joy while connecting to nature and the rhythm of the river.
Tommy Montgomery
Kayak instructor and guide, Tommy brings strong technique, quick wit, and charm to the water. With accuracy, humor, and a focus on keeping groups moving and engaged, he helps paddlers build skills from ball of foot to paddle blades.
Lorenzo Bevilaqua
Kayak instructor, trip leader, and safety maven, Lorenzo keeps paddlers connected, confident, and tuned into the river’s rhythms. He leads with keen awareness and humor, helping paddlers build their on-water judgment.
Ronald Rivera
Surf ski instructor, guide, and competitive paddler, Ronald brings athletic spirit, sprint speed, and big water mastery to MKC’s community. Focused on technique, training, and high-intensity adventure, he inspires paddlers to chase skill, strength, and waves.
Fiona Cousins
A master of sea kayak and surf ski technique, Fiona offers sharp observation, clear instruction, and veteran coaching expertise, helping kayakers build true proficiency. She teaches capsize and re-entry with a calm clarity that makes it simple, fast, and no big deal.
Paul Rochford
Kayak guide and emergency specialist, Paul delivers sharp skill, calm focus, and a MacGyver spirit to every trip. From sweeping the back of the pack to rigging emergency tows with ease, he’s the steady hand you count on when the river throws a curveball.
Margaret Kingsbury
A dancer and multi-sport paddler, Marge brings vibrant energy, sharp movement awareness, and a deep love of biomechanics to every session. Whether surf skiing, paddleboarding, or sea kayaking, she leads learners toward skill, confidence, and joy in motion.
It Started with a Father Who Loved the Outdoors
In the beginning, there was father Dieter and his son Eric
Dieter Stiller is in Union Square at his Klepper Kayak shop. It’s 1970 and Dieter imports and sells the first folding kayaks in the USA. Father and firebrand son Eric go kayaking in the Delaware River and Adirondacks. Eric learns to zoom on the water.
Eric came into his own
Dieter summons his son from college to help out at the Union Square shop a decade later. Eric begins selling and racing the kayaks up and down the East Coast. One day, an Aussie model named Tony strides into the shop and mentions he’s planning to circumnavigate Australia by kayak – but never sea kayaked before! Eric coaches Tony a couple of times every week — by kayaking from Gansevoort Street back and forth to the Statue of Liberty. Done with training, they kayak halfway around Australia.
He created an adventurous team
Eric returns to NYC and is alone on the water. He imagines that NYC can be a world-class paddling destination. He borrows some kayaks from the Union Square shop and finds like-hearted friends to jump the fences and paddle up and down the Hudson River, around Manhattan, to sunken ships and desolate buildings. Then, ingenious pal David Lee Roth encourages Eric to turn this edgy hobby into a career. The community becomes Manhattan Kayak. Its small team teaches and trains ambitious athletic New Yorkers out of old buildings and barges in Chelsea.
Our team scored new digs
The Hudson River Park emerges on Manhattan’s West Side starting in the 1990s. MKC’s original base is torn down by the Park. First, we relocate to the new Pier 66 Boathouse in Chelsea and stay for 7 years. Then, in 2013, we relocate to the Pier 84 Boathouse in Hell’s Kitchen. This becomes the home-base for our 26 staff and dozens of graduated students who own their own kayaks, surf skis, outrigger canoes, and paddle boards. Excitement grows as the group explores waters far and wide and develops a unique fitness community on the waterfront.
Our team sticks together and feels like a family. As new people learn with us, they become woven into this very special waterfront community.
We honed our craft of teaching and touring
Many of us started as students here. We know it takes real skill to confidently navigate NYC. We teach sea kayaking and paddleboarding in three 2.5-hour classes to help newcomers develop proficiency. Class graduates are ready to go on exhilarating adventures. We offer affordable rentals and beginner sightseeing tours for fun, sun, and scenery.
We continue to manifest an extraordinary lifestyle
Modern life is more or less predictable, controlled, and AI-assisted. Come discover the unpredictable, unwieldy, and physically strenuous side of life. Words can’t explain what zooming on the water connects us with…something inexplicably great that brings awe and excitement. All while in New York City.
We hope to see you on the water!
– The Manhattan Kayak Team