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Dave Speier

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Dave Speier is an American open water swimmer and member of Beyond Avalon, a 12-person relay team that attempted an unprecedented 76-mile (122 km) ocean swim from Santa Catalina Island to La Jolla, California near San Diego on 22-24 August 2014.

He has also completed the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim, the 9-mile Swim O.C., managed to finish a Tampa Bay Marathon Swim relay, the Nanticoke Swim and Triathlon, Alcatraz Island Swim, the Potomac River Swim, the 5-mile Chester River Swim, the Captain Craig Swim and the Maui Channel Swim.

Beyond Avalon

Beyond Avalon was a charity swim to raise awareness and funds for the Warrior Foundation~Freedom Station and nominated for the 2014 WOWSA Awards' World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year. In 2014, the relay traversed 40 miles under the direction of captains Nick Jeffery and Terry Hirt until the swimmers were stopped by repeated shark encounters.

Beyond Avalon Members

2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Nomination

Beyond Avalon is nominated for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year.

"The crossing of the Catalina Channel is 20.2-mile mixture of currents, tides, winds, and marine life that cuts straight across from Santa Catalina Island to the nearest point on the mainland. But that was not enough for Beyond Avalon, a team of 11 San Diego-based swimmers under the guidance of pilots Nick Jeffery and Terry Hirt. They created a unique spin on a traditional channel crossing. They aimed to cut a tangent from Santa Catalina Island to San Diego, a distance of 122 km (76 miles). Far out from the California shoreline, there was plenty of marine life to deal with. But as the team raised awareness and funds for the Warrior Foundation – Freedom Station, the team also encountered not one, not two, but several sharks far, far from shore. For their creativity to design and attempt a unique spin on a traditional channel crossing, for their efforts to swim without disturbing the naturally scary denizens of the deep, for their vow to attempt another crossing after this year’s attempt was cut short at 64 km (40 miles), Beyond Avalon with Dan Henry, Dave Speier, William Miller, Steve Miller, Lee Grove, Dana Selles, Mark Zambon, Penny Nagel, Chris Gibson, Jon Rodley, Jonathan Hands, Nick Jeffery and Terry Hirt is a worthy nominee for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year."

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2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Nominees

1. Beyond Avalon by Dan Henry, Dave Speier, William Miller, Steve Miller, Lee Grove, Dana Selles, Mark Zambon, Penny Nagel, Chris Gibson, Jon Rodley, Jonathan Hands, Nick Jeffery, Terry Hirt (U.S.A.)
2. Curaçao Channel Crossing by Niko Kluyver, André Nottelman, Erwin Ruijsink (Curaçao)
3. Cyprus Israel Swim by Udi Erell, Doron Amosi, Ben Enosh, Ori Sela, Oded Rahav, Luc Chetboun (Israel)
4. Diomede Islands Swim by Alexandr Brylin and Grigorii Prokopchuk (Russia)
5. English Channel Crossing by Cyril Baldock (Australia)
6. Great Lake Adventure by Vicki Keith, Abi Tripp, Nick Streicher, Michelle Sempowski, Natasha Dobson, Harley Bolton, Natalie Lambert, Jenna Lambert (Canada)
7. International Winter Swimming Festival Argentina by Matías Ola (Argentina)
8. Lake Ontario Crossing by Trinity Arsenault (Canada)
9. Madagascar Swim by Thane Guy Williams and Jonno Proudfoot (South Africa)
10. Manhattan Island Marathon Swim by Kristian Rutford (U.S.A.)
11. Mallorca 360° Circumnavigation Swim by Richard Krugel (South Africa)
12. Monterey Bay Crossing by Patti Bauernfeind (U.S.A.)
13. Prison Island Swims by Jacques Tuset (France)
14. Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming by Charlotte Samuels (U.S.A.)
15. U.S. Lifeguarding Champions by Monmouth County Lifeguards (U.S.A.)

External links

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