637 Paddlers attend Gla Gla SUP Race
The famous Gla Gla SUP Race took place at Lake Annecy. With 637 paddlers attending it is the second-biggest race in the world. Conditions were freezing cold but at least sunny.
This event is so much more than just a race, and it's about so much more than just the results. It's a "gathering of the tribe," and judging from what we saw this year, our tribe is getting pretty damn big.
The atmosphere on the water is electric, and the sight of 600+ paddlers charging towards the first buoy is truly extraordinary.
A great sign for the health and future of our sport.
Congratulations to Sonni Hönscheid, Titouan Puyo and every single one of the record 637 paddlers who completed a memorable bucket list race around Lake Annecy in the freezing cold but very sunny French Alps! The 2020 GlaGla Race was something truly special with a gigantic start line creating an amazing sight at the beginning of the race and an extraordinary final 500 metres from Titou producing an exciting finish!
Titou seemed to be out of contention as his NSP teammate Ty Judson along with Leo Nika and Tom Auner set a scintillating pace with 1km to go, but despite rounding the final 500 metre buoy in sixth place, the New Caledonian somehow found a better line to the finish and snuck into the lead with 100 metres to go. It was such a clever move that many didn’t even realise that he’d replaced his teammate at the front. An incredible victory. Great to see darkhorses such as Portugal’s Renato Queiros, Ukraine’s Oleksii Sidenko and French junior Marius Auber all cracking the top 10.
Sonni defended her title in the women’s race with a signature powerhouse performance. The German was ultimately too strong for Fiona Wylde, while French darkhorse Fanny Tessier showed she’ll be one to watch this year.
