Locals remember Marc Pitz with a paddleout
More than 300 family and friends gathered to celebrate the life of Marc Pitz with a traditional surfer’s paddleout at Brooks Street beach in Laguna Beach on Sunday afternoon. Pitz died last month at 51.
Pitz helped out at Dizz’s As Is, a cottage-style restaurant that the Pitz family opened in 1977. The community rallied around Marc Pitz when they found out he was battling pancreatic cancer at least three years ago.
On Sunday, surfers wearing Hawaiian leis shared stories of how Pitz influenced their lives. They yelled his name three times and then splashed water as 4- to 6-foot swells moved over reef.
During the ceremony, a rogue wave broke up the circle and moved the group closer together.
Those who did not paddle out, yelled and cheered from the beach.
Pitz’s daughter, Taylor, his son, Mason, local chiropractor Gary Arthur, and former pro surfer Jeff Booth spoke about Pitz before the paddleout.
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