David Kurtz found his way to whitewater in 1954. As part of the early group of people paddling whitewater on the US East Coast as a recreational activity in the 20th century, Kurtz has been sharing the sport with others for nearly 70 years.
The Daily Collegian, a Penn State University student media outlet, took the opportunity to gleam the life of Kurtz on his home river in central Pennsylvania.
I like this write up about Dave Kurtz. This guy in my mind is a true leader of the sport in a way not too many people are anymore.
Dave is more than just a paddling coach, he is a mentor. He shows young athletes that there is much to aspire to well beyond just the sport. Many of the youth in his clubs end up going to MIT and other universities. He uses sport as vehicle to teach kids about the world.
He has built strong networks for young paddlers from the US to be able to access world wide. To Dave it is not just about how many medals a person can potentially win. It is about how the sport can be used as a
way to enrich the lives of Americas youth.
I hope Dave will continue to have a long and healthy life and keep on paddling. Dave embodies in my heart and mind what the true meaning of the Olympic program is. It is supposed to develop ambassadors of the nation that use the sport as a tool to build strong relationships globally. The kids that go through Dave’s programs all seem to come out to be strong leaders in the sport community.