Race directors:
Jon Harmse & Phillip Toriello
Jon Harmse is an endurance racing enthusiast. Growing up swimming and playing water polo, in 2008, while attending Cal Poly, he was talked into racing the triathlon at Wildflower and never stopped. He raced collegiately for a couple of years and post college went on to get his USAT coaching certification. He coached the Cal Poly Triathlon team for four years, culminating in a collegiate conference championship in 2018. He has raced all distances from sprint to full Ironman and has raced and podiumed in a lot of the local races, including Scott Tinley’s, SLO Tri and the Morro Bay Tri. In 2015 he joined the Port San Luis Harbor District Lifeguarding team and in 2018 started working as an instructor with the Avila Beach Junior Lifeguard Program.
When not on the beach or coaching young aspiring triathletes, he can usually be found with his wife riding their horses, camping with their dogs, or just enjoying the amazing food and wine we have here on the central coast.
Phillip Toriello is an outdoor-ocean racing enthusiast that has lived on the Central Coast since 1998. Following his adventures in Hawai’i (biathlons and surfing), Phillip relocated to San Luis Obispo in 98′ where he raced competitively as a swimmer at Cuesta College for two years. In 1999 Phillip joined the Port San Luis Harbor District Lifeguarding team. In 2001, Phillip helped Russ Edwards establish the Avila Beach Junior Lifeguard Program, with a mere 28 Junior Lifeguards. Since that time, the Avila Beach Junior Lifeguard Program has grown to be the largest and most sought after Junior Lifeguard program on the Central Coast. In 2023, Phillip and Jon Harmse were appointed Co-Directors of the Avila Beach Junior Lifeguard Program. Their mission, to continue providing an incomparable summer experience for each and every Junior Lifeguard.
When not lifeguarding, running Sylvan Learning, or racing, you will find Phillip seeking outdoor adventures and amazing food with his son.