Hello John ! Happy to see you coming back to the GlaGla Race ! Can you tell us who you are for those who don’t know you yet ! How long have you been paddling ?
I’m a 58-year-old stand-up paddleboarder, born in Glasgow, Scotland, and living in the northwest of England for the last 30 years. One Saturday morning in June 2014 I happened to look out of my window which overlooks Southport Marine Lake. I saw three people out on the lake, paddleboarding. I’d never seen such a thing before, and I was intrigued. I had my first lesson later that month. What began as a hobby evolved into a lifetime quest to SUP in every country in the world. I’m on 47 countries at the moment, so I still have a long way to go.
What do you like about the GlaGla Race ?
In my first few years of SUP, I was famous in my friend group for hibernating every winter. My board would go away at the end of October and not come back out until March or April. In 2017/18, I decided to be brave and paddle through the winter. Then I read about the Glagla Race and decided to be braver still. I took part in January 2018 and loved every minute of it, even though it was very cold on the day. It snowed not long after the race finished. I think the GlaGla Race is a unique event and I like to challenge myself. I just love the town of Annecy itself and the lake is absolutely spectacular. I’m very much looking forward to coming again in 2023.
You are a big fan of the Red Paddle brand. What do you like most about their SUP boards ?
I’ve owned Redpaddle boards for more than eight years now. Sometimes my quest to SUP the World takes me to unusual or isolated locations, and I often paddle alone. It’s important for me to have top-quality equipment that won’t let me down. I know I can rely on Redpaddle. They have a wide range of boards and provide excellent customer service. I’m looking forward to paddling my Redpaddle 13’2 Voyager on Lake Annecy in January 2023.
