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Press Coverage

Media Contact: Stephan Aarstol 858.733.1055
stephan@towerpaddleboards.com

Major Media & Accomplishment Timeline

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2022 - International Business Times names Tower Founder to 'Social Capital Top 100'

2021 - Fast Company cover's Tower's 5 Hour Workday concept. 

2020 - Tower's 5 Hour Workday concept named as a finalist in Fast Company's World Changing Ideas

New York Times Covers Tower's 5-Hour Workday Concept

2019 - The Five Hour Workday phenomenon invented at Tower Paddle Boards in 2015 and subsequently spread to over 10 million people worldwide is featured in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

2018 - People Magazine features Tower as one of Shark Tank's "Most Successful Products Ever" with $34M in sales

2017 - The prestigious Robb Report names Tower's Chris Craft iSUP the #1 best SUP worldwide over $2400 & $3400 competitor SUPs

2016 - In a busy year, Tower is named one of the top 5 SUP brands in the world, Amazon founder Jeff Bezo's name drops Tower Paddle Boards in his annual letter to stockholders, and Harvard publishes an HBR case on Tower.

2015 - Tower iSUPs are named "one of the 10 most impressive products in the US on the INC 500" and Tower ranks #239 on INC Magazine's list of the 500 fastest growing companies in the US. Later that year, Tower invents the Five Hour Workday and rolls it out to the entire staff.

2014 - Tower is named the #1 fastest growing private company in San Diego

2013 - Mark Cuban names Tower as his best investment in the history of Shark Tank.

2012 - Tower gets backing from Mark Cuban on ABC's Shark Tank.

2011 - Tower unveils the world's first 6" thick inflatable paddle board (which would ultimately disrupt the entire industry)

2010 - Tower founded as disruptive direct to consumer only SUP brand.



Historical Press Timeline

2022 Press

December 2nd, 2022 - International Business Times names Tower Founder to their Social Capital Top 100

2021 Press

June 29th, 2021 - Men's Journal article "7 Inflatable Paddle Boards We Love in 2022"

June 15th, 2021 - Wired UK article "The Perfect Number of Hours to Work Everyday? Five"

June 5th, 2021 - Business Insider article on The 5 Hour Workday Experiment Pros & Cons

June 1st, 2021 - UpFlip takes an inside look at life post-Shark Tank with Tower Paddle Boards (Part 1, Part 2)

June 2021 - Tower Paddle Boards is spotlighted in Amazon Unbound, the latest book by Brad Stone, author of the definitive biography on Amazon and it's founder Jeff Bezos, The Everything Store

May 2021 - The Ellen Show visits the Tower Beach Club for their segment on Average Andy learning how to eFoil

May 2021 - Tower Paddle Boards is mentioned in Walter Isaacson's latests biography on Jeff Bezos and Amazon entitled "Invent and Wander"

May 15, 2021 - CEO Stephan Aarstol visits the Adam Corolla Show for the 2nd time to discuss Tower and the 5-Hour Workday

March 16, 2021 - Fast Company article on re-visiting the 5-hour workday 5 years later. 

Feb 16, 2021 - The School For Good Living Podcast interviews Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol

Feb 13, 2021 - Fox Business News discusses the end of the 9 to 5 workday with executives and observations from leading company executives including Tower. 

2020 Press

April 28, 2020 - Press Release: Tower's 5 Hour Work Day concept was named as a finalist in Fast Company's World Changing Ideas: North America

March 10, 2020 - Article in The Guardian discusses companies following Tower's lead into experimenting with the 5 Hour Workday

February 10, 2020 - Press Release: Tower Paddle Boards Named to the IAB 250 Direct Brands to Watch for 2020

2019 Press

Wall Street Journal Covers the 5-Hour Workday

November 6, 2019 - The New York Times discusses the 5-hour workday (invented at Tower in 2015) concept's spread around the world. 

October 24, 2019 - The Wall Street Journal spotlights a German company's five-hour workday implementation, originally inspired by Tower. 

October 10, 2019 - USA Today features Tower among list of 20 best selling products in Shark Tank history

June 1, 2019 - The Tower Group launches the Tower Beach Club, a high-end waterfront event venue in San Diego, which also doubles as Tower's retail showroom and offices. 

May 17, 2019 - Western Washington University names Tower founder, and WWU alumni, Stephan Aarstol as their 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year

March 2019 - The Harvard Business Review publishes an HBR case study on eBikes and Amazon based loosely on Tower, with expert commentary from Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol

2018 Press

November 29, 2018 - Internet Retailer spotlights The No Middleman Project

November 25, 2018 - People Magazine features Tower as one of ABC's Shark Tank's "Most successful products ever" with $34 million in sales

October 31, 2018 - Inc. Magazine features an article on Tower's innovative direct to consumer focused No Middleman Project

October 30, 2018 - The Tower Group launches the No Middleman Project, where consumers can shop the best direct to consumer brands from one easy place

October 30, 2018 - The Tower Group expands into another major product category, eBikes with the launch of Tower Electric Bikes

July 1, 2018 - University of San Diego names Tower Paddle Boards Founder Stephan Aarstol to their Alumni Hall of Honor

May 6, 2018 - The Financial Times discusses the spread of Tower's 5-Hour Workday

January 31, 2018 - InflatableBoarder.com Interview with Tower Paddle Boards CEO Stephan Aarstol – SUP Company Spotlight

2017 Press

February 24, 2017 - ABC's 20/20 features Tower Paddle Boards as one of Shark Tank's all-time best investments

February 22, 2017 - Our City Magazine names Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol to list of top 10 most influential business leaders in San Diego

February 1, 2017 - Tower opens an innovative Brand Experience Store in prime beach retail location in San Diego

Tower Paddle Boards in Fortune Magazine

January 5, 2017 - Chase Master's "More than Money" Feature of Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol in Fortune Magazine

January 2, 2017 - Tower named to Internet Retailer's 2016 "Hot 100" list of world's most innovative e-retailers

2016 Press

December 16, 2016 - Research & Markets names Tower as one of the top five "key vendors" in the worldwide SUP Industry

December 5, 2016 - Chase Master's Features Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol in Fortune Magazine

October 20, 2016 - The Observer publishes Stephan Aarstol's article, "The 5-Hour Workday is Heresy in America - Not So Much Around the World.

September 17, 2016 - UK's #2 newspaper, The Daily Mail article on Tower CEO & the 5 Hour Workday book

September 17, 2016 - Fox & Friends' Tucker Carlson interviews Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol
"The point of life is not work" interview

September 8, 2016 - The Five Hour Workday book interview on CNBC's Power Lunch.

September 8, 2016 - Hamburg Germany's #2 newspaper, MorgenPost, dubs Tower CEO "The World's Best Boss."

September 8, 2016 - The Street article, "The Case for the Five Hour Workday."

September 1, 2016 - CNN Money with Maggie Lake (CNN International) interviews Stephan Aarstol on The Five Hour Workday.

August 31, 2016 - The Hustle discusses Amazon's recently announced 30-hour workweek test and contrasts it to Tower Five Hour Workday.

August 30, 2016 - Fast Company features an article on The Five Hour Workday book.

August 29, 2016 - Nationally syndicated TV newsmagazine show The List interviews Stephan Aarstol about The Five Hour Workday.

August 25, 2016 - PBS radio interview on The Five Hour Workday book.

August 15, 2016 - Good Morning San Diego's Brad Perry interviews Stephan Aarstol on The Five Hour Workday book.

August 8, 2016 - Business Insider article on the rising success of Tower Paddle Boards, their investment with Mark Cuban, and their Five Hour Workday.

July 28, 2016 - Brainfluence author Roger Dooley interviews Stephan on The Five Hour Workday book.

July 27, 2016 - Entrepreneur Magazine runs the article "How to Make a 5-Hour Workday Work for You"

July 25, 2016 - Tower ranks #34 Fastest Growing Private Company in San Diego
San Diego Business Journal's Fast 150 - 3rd consecutive year Tower has made the list

July 22, 2016 - Voice of America interviews Stephan Aarstol on The Five Hour Workday in article, "Does reducing 40-hour workweek improve bottom line?"

July 18, 2016 - Talk show icon Adam Corolla interviews Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol on The Five Hour Workday book.

July 13, 2016 - Art of the Start author Guy Kawasaki interviews Stephan on The Five Hour Workday book.

June 16, 2016 - Metro article on a case for the five hour workday.

Amazon Best Seller in Workplace

June 15th, 2016 - The Five Hour Workday debuts as the #1 bestseller in Amazon's "Workplace Behavior" category during pre-launch a full month before it's official release.

June 8, 2016 - "Five Advice Books to Add to Your Coaching Library and Gift a New Grad" book recommendation article in Forbes

June 6, 2016 - INC Magazine article on "How to Increase Productivity by Working Fewer Hours."

June 3, 2016 - HuffPost Business article, "Can this Shark Tank Company Take on an Industry Working a Five-Hour Day?"

January 28, 2016 - ABC's Beyond theTank features Tower Paddle Boards

January 28th, 2016 - Dallas Observer spotlights Tower Paddle Boards

January 26th, 2016 - The Bellingham Herald Bellingham Native to be on Shark Tank follow-on show Beyond the Tank.

January 21st, 2016 - Press Release Prweb.com Releases a Press Release on Tower Paddle Boards Upcoming Feature on ABC's Beyond the Tank

2015 Press

December, 2015, Yoga Digest
Yoga Digest talks to Stephan Aarstol, CEO/Founder of Tower, about the Five Hour Workday.

December 10th, 2015 Press Release
Sunglasses by Tower Launched from Shark Tank Company, Tower Paddle Boards

December, 2015 Inc. Magazine
Inc 500 Magazine quotes Tower Founder & CEO, Stephan Aarstol, in an article on how small business CEO's feel about 2016

November 2nd, 2015, CBS 8 San Diego
Tower Paddle Boards lands a feature story on CBS 8 San Diego

November 2nd, 2015, Center of Executive Excellence
Aarstol's Five Hour Workday Recognized by Center for Executive Excellence

October 9th, 2015 Inc.com
Inc.com Highlights Tower's Five Hour Work Day

September 22nd, 2015, PayPal Spotlight
CEO/Founder, Stephan Aarstol, talks about how PayPal has helped with the growing success of his business

August 19th, INC Magazine's "INC 500" List of Fastest Growing Private US Companies
Tower is named the 239th Fastest Growing Private Company in America

Tower ranks #239 on the INC 500

August 19th, Inc. Magazine
Tower Paddle Boards is Selected as one of Inc. 500's "10 Most Impressive Products" in the US

August 15th, 2015, Paypal Business
Paypal features a customer spotlight video spotlight on the homepage of Paypal's Business website

June 29th, 2015, London Times
The London Times Features Tower Paddle Boards in an article on Amazon Lending

July 28th, 2015, Amazon
Amazon does a spotlight story on Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol

July 21st, 2015, Ford Motor Company
Ford features Tower's Inflatable paddle boards in their Ford Edge TV spot

July 16th, 2015 San Diego Business Journal
Tower named #15 on the list of the Fastest Growing Private Company in San Diego for 2015

July 15th, 2015 Press Release
Tower Moves Retail Store to Miramar Warehouse Location

July 9th, 2015 Press Release
Kylee Seifert Named Director of Business Development for Tower Paddle Boards

May 1st, 2015 Press Release
Tower Paddle Boards Begins Five Percent Profit Sharing With Employees

May 1st, 2015 Press Release
Tower Switches to Five Hour Work Days to Increase Productivity

April 17th, 2015, INC Magazine
Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol publishes article on 5-Hour Work Day on INC Magazine

March 23rd, 2015 Press Release
Tower Paddle Boards Launches Tower Magazine, a Beach Lifestyle Magazine

March, 2015 Press Release
Tower Paddle Boards Presents Another Best in Class Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board; the 10'4" Adventurer 2

March 11th, 2015 Entrepreneur Magazine
Amazon Exclusives launches with Tower as test pilot

March, 2015 Press Release
Tower Introduces Best in Class 12'6" Inflatable Racing SUP

February 2nd, 2015 Press Release
Alice Zarka Named Tower.Life Marketing Director for Tower Paddle Boards

January 12th, 2015 Press Release
Tower Paddle Boards Presents Their Carbon Cross Link Line

January, 2015 Press Release
Shark Tank Company hits $10 Million in Lifetime Sales



2014 Press

November 11th, 2014 99 Designs
99designs interviews Tower CEO, Stephan Aarstol

October 1st, 2015, Evolution Magazine
Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol featured on the cover of Evolution Magazine

September 15th, 2014, The Competitive Edge
Scott Britton interviews Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol on The Competitive Edge Podcast

September 10, 2014, INC GrowCo
Tower Paddle Boards is named as one of Mark Cuban's best Shark Tank investments

September 1st, 2014 Press Release
Celso Bemvenutti Hired as Brand Filmmaker for Tower Paddle Boards

September, 2014 Press Release
Tower Paddle Boards Lands a $500,000 Credit Line from HSBC

July 16th, 2014, San Diego Union Tribune
Tower CEO on panel discussing if San Diego is the country's hub of sporting goods

July 15th, 2014 Press Release
Lauralee McIntyre Brought on as Director of Communications at Tower Paddle Boards

Tower named #1 Fastest Growing Company in San Diego

July 10th, 2014, San Diego Business Journal
Tower named the #1 Fastest Growing Private Company in San Diego for 2014

June 23rd, 2014, San Diego Business Journal
Article on Tower manufacturing here (in San Diego) and abroad

April 29th, 2014 LadyLux
LadyLux interviews Tower CEO, Stephan Aarstol

April 24th, 2014 TheRichest
Tower named #4 most successful company in the history of Shark Tank

March 2th, 2014 WGN Radio (Chicago)
WGN Radio's Garry Meier Interviews Tower's CEO, Stephan Aarstol

January 29th, 2014 The Walrus
Kim & Nolan interview Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol on The Walrus Morning Show

January 27th, 2014 Union Tribune
Front page Business Section: Jaws of Success article

January 15th, 2014 LinkedIn Experts
Tower CEO, Stephan Aarstol, is invited to contribute as a LinkedIn Expert

Tower Paddle Boards featured in People Magazine

2013 Press

November 11th, 2013 People Magazine (Sexiest Man Alive Edition )
Tower CEO, Stephan Aarstol, featured in Shark Tank's Big Winners

September 15th, 2013 Press Release
Galen Eckenroth Named Director of Operations for Tower Paddle Boards

August 15th, 2013 MacDirectory
Tower iSUPs featured in MacDirectory's Fitness in Style Section

August 6th, 2013 Forbes Magazine
Tower mentioned in a Forbes Magaine article, "Is your Company and Industry Leader? "

July 15th, 2013 Press Release
Tower Launches US SUP Factory, hires reknowned shaper Byron Olson

July 6th, 2013 Entrepreneur Magazine
Article on the importance of pricing by Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol

June 3rd, 2013 Fast Company
How Tower Paddle Boards CEO Stephan Aarstol went against the current, and battled [SUP] industry forces with innovation

May 31st, 2013 Cadre DC
"25 Remarkable People You Should Know About: MastermindTalks Edition" lists Tower's CEO alongside thought leaders such as Tim Ferris , Mark Ecko , A.J. Jacobs , James Altucher , and more.

April 26th, 2013 Under 30 CEO
How to Build a High Quality Brand with an Affordable Product - Tower's Founder & CEO Stephan Aarstol discusses building the Tower brand in the paddle board industry.

April 9th, 2013 Forbes Magazine
Tower Founder & CEO quoted in a Forbes article alongside leading SEO experts

April 8th, 2013 IdeaMensch
IdeaMensch interview with Tower Founder & CEO Stephan Aarstol

March 1st, 2013 The Underground
Tower Founder & CEO Invited to Speak at the Exclusive Underground Online Seminar

February 20th, 2013 The Howard Stern Show
Mark Cuban raves about Tower on the Howard Stern Show

February 15th, 2013, San Diego Sport Innovators
Tower Founder & CEO is invited to join the SDSI Advisory Board alongside sports legends such as NBA All-Star Bill Walton, the 1st World Champion of Pro Surfing Peter Townend, and prominent action sports founders of companies including SKLZ, LiquidForce, etc.

February 13th, 2013 The Price is Right
Tower Paddle Board's Prize Package Featured on the Price is Right

February 8th, 2013 Press Release
Allison Dundovich Hired as Director of Digital Strategy for Tower Paddle Boards

January 30th, 2013 Amazon.com
Tower selected as 1 of 4 spotlighted out of over 250,000 Amazon Sellers

2012 Press

December 31st, 2012 Press Release
Tower Introduces New 14' Inflatable Racing/Touring Paddle Board

September 15th, 2012 The Hollywood Reporter
Tower Paddle Boards featured in Hollywood Reporter article on Shark Tank

September 14th, 2012 TV.com
Tower singled out as "Sometimes the Craziest Sh*t Turns Out to Be the Best Investment"

September 14th, 2012 Entrepreneur Magazine
The Shark Tank Effect: Top Success Stories from the First 3 Seasons

September 4th, 2012 Press Release
Tower's success since being on Shark Tank

July, 2012 Miami Living Magazine
Tower iSUPs featured in "Hot Products" section of Miami Living

June 4th, 2012 Forbes
Shark Tank Roundtable - Their Best and Worst Deals
Mark Cuban lists Tower as one of his best Shark Tank deals.

Summer Edition, 2012 University of San Diego Magazine
Something Ventured: Would-be Entrepreneurs Face Angel Investors

May 30th, 2012 SUP Magazine
First Descents Partners with Tower SUP to take Cancer Survivors Paddling

April 20th, 2012 Volusion
Tower Paddle Boards Survives Shark Tank, Makes Millions, with Help of Volusion

Spring Edition, 2012 Western Washington University Window Magazine
Alumni Conversations

April 18th, 2012 University of San Diego V2 ("Venture Vetting")
Keynote Speech by Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol

April, 2012 Bellingham Business Journal
Q&A | Stephan Aarstol: The Whatcom native and entrepreneur swims with the sharks on national TV

March 30th, 2012 Western Front
Western Alumnus Feeds the Business Sharks on ABC: Paddleboard entrepreneur receives $150,000 to expand his company

March 16th, 2012 San Diego Union Tribune
San Diego Enterpreneur on 'Shark Tank' Tonight

Paddle Boards on Shark Tank

March 16th, 2012 ABC's Emmy Nominated 'Shark Tank'
Tower Paddle Boards Pitch to the Sharks airs to 6+ Million ABC Viewers

March 15th, 2012 KOMO 4 News
News anchor Mary Nam interviews Tower CEO Stephan Aarstol about Shark Tank

March 14th, 2012 Bellingham Herald
Former Deming man on ABC's 'Shark Tank'

January 15th, 2012 Press Release
Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board in Innovative 6” Design Introduced by Tower SUP

2011 Press

December 31st, 2011 Press Release 
SUP Start-up Tower Paddle Boards Eclipses its Goal of $250,000 in Sales During 1st Year of Operation

August 4th, 2011 Cool Material
Stand Up Paddle Board giveaway on CoolMaterial.com by Tower SUP

July 30th, 2011 Press Release
SUP Brand Tower Paddle Boards' Official Launch Party Filmed by ABC's Shark Tank

July 24th, 2011 Press Release
Tower unveils the world's first 6" thick inflatable paddle board on the set of their Shark Tank pitch. 

June 15th, 2011 Press Release
Carbon Fiber SUP Paddle Sold Direct Introduced by Tower SUP

June 9th, 2011 Press Release
Amy Fausset Named Director of Marketing for Tower Paddle Boards

May 10th, 2011 Press Release
Tower Paddle Boards Making Waves in Booming SUP Market

2010 Press

September 2nd, 2010 in The Beach & Bay Press (San Diego)
Local business looks to make splash in paddleboard sales