You’d be Gla Gla to miss it
PHOTOS Stu Walker WORDS Robyn Dawson
This January, we joined over 800 paddlers from 25 different nationalities to assemble on the breath-taking shores of Lake Annecy to take part in the 9th edition of the iconic GlaGla race. Part of the Alpine Lakes Tour, this unique SUP race has been challenging paddlers to brave the freezing conditions (a staggering -3°C) for almost 10 years. A series of both long and short distance races, The Apline Lakes Tour is held on lakes around the Alps and is kicked off with the GlaGla. Our team went out to capture the action and find out why hundreds of paddlers have been returning to race on the frosty waters in France, time and again. The term ‘GlaGla’ means ‘teeth chattering cold’ and it is safe to say we swiftly understood the meaning of this phrase as soon as we arrived in the small town of Talloires. The normally quiet and sleepy village had been flooded with paddleboarders from across the globe, excited for an action-packed weekend of SUP racing. Lake Annecy is overlooked by the dramatic snow-capped mountains of the northern French Alps. Whilst this makes a stunning backdrop for a SUP race, it also brings with it some seriously unpredictable weather conditions. The morning of race day we awoke to cold and crisp conditions as we watched paddlers hastily scraping ice off their boards before warming up with hot coffee and donning their dry suits. However, sudden offshore winds left both race organisers and competitors feeling a little on edge as to whether the event could even go ahead. Thankfully, the ever-changing mountain weather worked in their favour and the winds dropped, bringing clear skies and near perfect paddling conditions. A few last-minute adjustments to the course also meant that this SUP race could handle another shift if the wind chose to come back... Welcome to the mountains! There are two main categories for paddle board racing at the GlaGla - a 6km short course or a long-distance 15km that takes competitors around the lake. We spotted plenty of Red racing paddle boards out on the lake, one being that of ‘SUP the world’ legend, John Mcfadzean, paddling the 6km route.
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