To Be Seen. To Be Heard.
From Above. From Below.
Tower View Stories LLC is a storytelling voice dedicated to revealing what has always been there; the stories, people, and ideas that time and noise have buried. In an age when speed and volume define visibility, Tower View Stories slows down to look differently: from above and from below, from the distance and from the ground.
Tower View Stories is proud to steward a civic project dedicated to the origins of the modern triathlon, an effort rooted in documents, maps, photographs, interviews, and first-person accounts that preserves what has long been overlooked. In 1974, the first modern triathlon took place on Fiesta Island in San Diego, originated and directed by Don Shanahan and designed by Jack Johnstone.
Yet the commemorative marker names the place but omits the people who created it. This project restores those missing names and details, drawing from the historical record to ensure the story is carried forward, especially as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics approach.
Visitors are invited to explore the full archive, newsletters, and documentary materials on the First Triathlon website, an ongoing public history effort to build. An effort was made to recognize beginnings, safeguard, memory, and honor a sport whose origin was far too long, hidden in plain sight.
THE GOLDEN AGE
of Endurance Sports
The first modern triathlon did not emerge in isolation. It grew from a rapidly changing endurance community shaped by runners, swimmers, cyclists, race organizers, volunteers, families, and athletes willing to experiment with new forms of competition.
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Between 1971 and 1979, San Diego became part of a broader transformation in American endurance sports. Road racing expanded beyond the track. Masters athletes redefined competition across a lifetime. Women and young athletes gained greater visibility. Volunteer-led events grew into increasingly complex productions. Along the shores of Mission Bay, this culture of participation and experimentation created the conditions that led to the first modern triathlon in 1974. Drawing from monthly newsletters, race results, photographs, interviews, and other historical records, this documentary series traces that history year by year. Together, these films reveal the people, events, and developments surrounding the birth of modern triathlon—and the endurance movement from which it emerged.
Tower View Stories Series
Endurance Sports History Series
A collection chronicling the people, places, and events that redefined endurance sport. These works reveal the overlooked history of the first modern triathlon and the individuals who built it from the ground up.Basic Necessities Series
A calm, practical guide to making daily life feel more manageable when everything seems to cost more. Through relatable stories and simple habits, this book helps you build steadier routines, reduce stress, and find clarity in busy or uncertain times.Inconvenience Series
A warm, humorous look at what happens when life stalls—on the road, in lines, in routines—and how two couples find their way through delays, frustration, and the moments that stop us in our tracks.Travel Series
Practical guides for moving through the world with intention and ease. These books combine travel strategy, organization, and emotional management to help readers stay steady on the road and at home.Tower View Method Series
The Tower View Method teaches that steadiness comes from stepping above the noise to see clearly, caring for the small things that keep life aligned, and returning to yourself first so your choices, attention, and daily maintenance stay anchored in what truly matters.
Planner Series
A collection designed to bring structure to goals, events, and day-to-day demands. These planners help map out everything from preparing for a triathlon race to organizing a business trip. Each edition gives readers a clear framework to chart timelines, manage logistics, and stay steady from start to finish.Workbook Series
A collection designed to bring structure to goals, events, and day-to-day demands. These planners help map out everything from preparing for a triathlon race to organizing a business trip. Each edition gives readers a clear framework to chart timelines, manage logistics, and stay steady from start to finish.Tower TANGO 5
A narrative-driven series that blends human grit, team dynamics, and the pursuit of the unknown. The mysterious vibration arrives as a low, precise, unshowy tone that slides through the observatory like a living signal, bending light and attention toward something none of them can yet explain.