Walter Hotz passed on.

In my ten years of leading KFAC, I was never more proud of anything than the unbridled enthusiasm and dedication that this man brought to the party. Literally, all the way to the party. 

In the words of a fellow paddler; Walter was that guy you never wanted to beat but you always loved seeing hit the beach. The guy who came back every summer, high fived you before the crossing, hugged you after. The guy who was on every team, who cheered for all of us and inspired us to keep fucking going. Carpe Paddlum, brother.

In the years since we first set out across 14 miles of open sea, I have seen a lot of people throwing themselves into extreme challenges- crossing deserts, scaling peaks, running insane distances- and legions of volunteers there to make it possible. Walter, no doubt, belongs at the front.  “He was a citizen of Rome”, Cassius said to end the movie Gladiator, “honor him”.

Walter was a citizen of KFAC. I’d honor him in this life, or the next. Carpe Paddlum, indeed.