On Thursday, June 18, a woman’s body was found near the Ocean Beach Pier. Now, authorities have publicly identified her as Summer Nash, 34.
Nash was seen in the water near the western end of Newport Avenue that day, according to the San Diego County medical examiner’s office. Lifeguards pulled her to shore, where she was pronounced dead shortly before 3:30 p.m., the office reported.
A ruling on the cause of Nash’s death was pending completion of postmortem examinations.
A couple of days after the Rag posted about her unidentified body being found, someone named Avery left this comment to the article:
This woman was my daughter, Summer. She was beautiful, deeply empathetic, and an accomplished athlete. Over the past couple of years, she’s spent much of her time surfing beaches from Tourmaline to Mission. The loss is insurmountable.
Here is some commentary about her personal life and her time at San Diego State U by GoAztec (2010–2012):
PERSONAL
Summer Montana Nash was born May 18, 1992, in Bozeman, Mont. … Daughter of Avery Ash … Interests include philosophy, nutrition and the outdoors … Enjoys arts and crafts, longboarding and activities with friends … Favorite athlete is Swedish track and field athlete Carolina Kluft … Majoring in environmental studies. …
SAN DIEGO STATE (2012 SEASON)
Started over half (17) of the Aztecs’ matches … Her 2.96 kills per set average was second-best on the squad and ranked 10th in the Mountain West … Set a career high with 21 kills at Hawai’i on Sept. 7 … Finished in double figures in kills in 14 matches … Her seven block assists against Wyoming (Oct. 27) was also her best as an Aztec … Has personal best 22.0 points in matches vs. Hawai’i and Fresno State (Oct. 4) … Named the Mountain West Player of the week on Nov. 5 after helping SDSU to road wins at UNLV and Fresno State … Over those two matches she averaged 4.75 kills. 0.75 blocks, .25 digs and 5.38 points per set while hitting .538 … Hit a career-best .600 at Fresno state (Nov. 3) when she had 16 kills with one error on 25 attempts.
SAN DIEGO STATE (2011 SEASON)
Started half of the team’s matches and appeared in all but one match during the season … Finished third on the squad with an average of 2.78 kills per set … Had a career-high 13 digs vs. Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 20 … Also had 10 kills in that match to record her first double-double as an Aztec … Set her SDSU blocking bests against New Mexico on Nov. 3 with five block assists and six total blocks … Recorded a career-best 18 digs against UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 25 along with a personal-high 19.5 points in that contest … Had back-to-back road matches (at Boise State and at Air Force) in which she had 12 kills and hit .478 and .455 respectively … Notched double figures in kills in six of the final seven matches of the regular season.
SAN DIEGO STATE (2010 SEASON)
Appeared in 24 matches with eight starting assignments at the outside hitter position … Was third on the team with kills average of 2.74 per set … Averaged 2.78 kps in conference play … Had a string of six straight matches reaching double figures in kills (Oct. 21 to Nov. 4) … Set career high with 16 kills at Utah on Nov. 4 … Had a season-high 18 points in that match as well … Recorded 15 kills vs. Wyoming on Oct.28 … Season best six digs at Air Force (Oct. 21) … Best blocking effort came vs. University of San Diego with four … Hit better than .300 in 11 matches during the course of the year … Best hitting percentage came in the second match of college career when she hit .533 (9k-1e-24ta) against Northern Colorado on Aug. 28.
HIGH SCHOOL
Played two seasons of varsity volleyball at Bishop Blanchet High School in Seattle, Wash., where she was coached by Matt Cheng … As a senior, led her prep team at the 3A state championship and was named all-tourney and MVP at the state tournament … Named to Seattle area all-star team … Won Seattle Times Athlete of the Week honors and was selected Bishop Blanchet High’s MVP … As a member of the track team during her senior year, was league and district champion in both the high jump and discus … Finished fourth in the state in the discus and eighth in the high jump … Selected team MVP and Most Inspirational … Also lettered in swimming and was named Most Improved … Transferred to Bishop Blanchet after two years at Mount Si HS in Snoqualmie, Wash., and could not play varsity volleyball as a junior due to state transfer rules … Was named Most Inspirational as a JV athlete that season … Played two seasons of volleyball at Mount Si, earning a varsity letter as a sophomore and was named all-area honorable mention … Also competed for the Mount Si track team winning a league title in the high jump and finishing second in the pole vault in 2007.
CLUB
Played four years as a middle blocker and outside hitter for the Kent Juniors Volleyball Club (KJVBC) in Kent, Wash. … Team won regional titles in both 2009 and 2010 … Also captured the championship at the Emerald City Classic Tournament in Seattle … Was invited to train with the Junior National (U-21) beach volleyball team in June 2011, earning the invite after a strong performance at the USAV Beach High Performance Tryouts … Competed at the CBS Sports Alt Games Collegiate Beach Championship in May 2011.
Also apparently she was a star on the volleyball court:
From wavebeachvolleyball on instagram:
Congratulations to our very own Summer Nash who was named to the AVCA Thirty Under 30 Beach Coaches List! #wavenation
Summer was my little sister. We made nature forts and observed wildlife while wondering about this world of life together. We would sing and our voices would match. I have always been awed by her luminous spirit, her deeply contemplative nature, and her art which seemed to erupt from her powerful hands in copious color. She recognized the sacred in moments of pure experience, her dancing was of complete physical mastery and spontaneous expressive grace. Now she is the ocean. She is the rising line of pelicans passing the sunset. She is the salt rime and the dolphin and golden Garibaldi. May she shred it on all the wildest waves of the other side. She is profoundly loved and missed.
Hi please let me know if there is anything I can do or if there will be a celebration of life.
Chaiymin, thank you. We are still organizing ourselves through the insanity in our hearts, but are celebrating her life and the wildness of her freedom by learning to honor ourselves more, taking things one breath at a time for now. Lives are precious, even if we can’t “Identify” them at first or perhaps not ever. I think she would want us to honor and love what is most alive through art and environmental sensiivity. Her body was found where all the other shells wash up by the south wall of the OB Pier, prayers and love may be created or given or danced for Summer there in environmentally respectful ways. Honoring and thanking the lifeguards for their service is also an excellent idea. The currents are shifting and their responsibilities aren’t getting easier.
She studied buddhism within her philosophical leanings, so chanting verses for her passage through the Bardos would be of spiritual value to her. I used to muddle my way through pronouncing some sacred verses with her, but we did it anyway bcause our voices matched and it sounded like magical language amd was very fun to try to do.I have been chanting om mani padme hum hoping the way of my chanting and silence can somehow connect me with her and heal some sadness or suffering in the world somewhere, to be empathetic beyond the world of my small concerns like she abundantly was.
If you have favorite memories with Summer please share them <3
Hi Marya,
Summer was one of my favorite people. She was deeply curious, a lover of all things bright and beautiful, and never let me get away with a simple answer. She made me feel known and connected. We loved swimming in the Ocean together, and both considered it to be a spiritual experience. She was thoughtful and insightful and an absolute rarity in this world. My first meaningful interaction with her was when she gave me a ginkgo leaf that she had pressed between the pages in her journal. I will think of her when I dive beneath the waves and float under the sun. I will see her in the ginkgos, and in fancy chocolates. In seashells, in different leaf shapes, and in the bumble bees; that’s where I’ll find her. The way you talk about her is profoundly beautiful and comforting; she was so fortunate to be seen by you in all of her glory. She always spoke so fondly of you and so much of her love of plants and nature was a reflection of her love for you. I am so sorry for your loss.
The ocean is a harsh mistress.
I’m so sorry for this tragic loss. I played beach volleyball with Summer in the past and she was such a sweet girl. Such a stud on the court too. I’m just shocked by this news. She was way too young and such a beautiful soul.
I share so many beautiful fond memories with Summer. As a Kiwi from New Zealand arriving on the shores of California to play college volleyball I really didn’t realise the massive cultural shift I was about to experience. But I instantly connected with Summer. Her worldviews made it feel like she had already traveled the world. She had this deep, rare understanding of people and their differences at such a young age and a beautiful belief in our ability to just co-exist. Even though we hadn’t spoken in years since I left America- simply because life got in the way- whenever we did drop a random message on social media it was like we’d never stopped talking. I am going to miss your incredible aura so much Sum. You made such a massive impact on my life, and I will forever treasure the sisterhood and friendship we shared. ‘Ofa lahi atu x Seta
I was there the day your daughter was being brought in. My husband and I were just walking around aimlessly through the town. We were visiting from Indiana. When we walked up on the pier we had absolutely no idea what was about to happen. All I could think of was her family. Having a daughter who is 28, my heart just broke for her family. Please know you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers ??
Thank you so much, Leanne. It feels good to know that she was seen as a human being who was loved and terribly missed.
Summer was my volleyball coach and friend, and she brought to most incredible insight, energy, and compassion to every situation. The way she showed up for those around her and saw the world caused you to think deeper and harder about what you were experiencing, and challenge how things work. She was an absolutely incredible human and her presence will be missed in so many lives. My deepest sympathies go out to her many friends and her family.