About Us
In 2014, Jamie Wankum founded Rubber Dockie in North Sioux City, South Dakota because he saw a need. He founded Rubber Dockie to provide families and friends with fun and connection on the water.
Flash forward. The day of Dr. Curt Farrell’s celebration of life in North Sioux City. Dr. Farrell had a medical family practice and delivered a lot of babies in his day. Katie Hurtado (formerly Farrell) and her husband John, were at Katie’s father’s service. John was sharing with a family friend, Tom, that they currently resided in California, where John was a firefighter and Katie was a small business operator. John felt pulled to share with Tom on a deeper level. He shared he wasn’t sure when, or how, or why, but John and Katie had a larger purpose to be business owners. Tom replied with, “I know a guy.”
Later that day, John and Katie met Tom at the Rubber Dockie warehouse. John and Katie met Jamie, who enthusiastically shared about the Rubber Dockie brand and products - premium water mats and inflatables to connect people on the water at accessible prices. John and Katie spent the afternoon and evening with Tom and Jamie, talking life, business, and reminiscing on shared stories (and jokes) about “Doc Farrell”. It was here they learned Katie’s dad had delivered Jamie’s boys and was their family physician. To make it even more serendipitous, Jamie’s wife, Chris, was one of Katie’s kindergarten teachers.
Today, John and Katie Hurtado are the proud owners of Rubber Dockie. Looking back on the journey of Rubber Dockie, fate and legacy have a way of showing up in the most unexpected of ways. Doc Farrell delivering Jamie’s boys would result in Jamie delivering John and Katie’s baby - Rubber Dockie.
John and Katie proudly relocated to Katie’s roots in South Dakota. They enjoy all things outdoors, including camping, fishing, spending time with their pup Jax, and anything on the water. They also love cooking, adventuring, learning, and connecting with family, friends, and fellow water lovers. After all, connection and fun are what Rubber Dockie is all about.
