The Origins

2013 – 2014 · The birth of a crazy idea

It all starts with a simple conviction: the Alpine lakes are among the most beautiful bodies of water in the world, yet no one had turned them into a playground for stand up paddling. The Alpine Lakes Tour was born from this obvious truth — and a healthy dose of madness. Here is the story of its first two years.

2013

The first season

It all begins on June 16, 2013, on the municipal beach of Sévrier, on the shores of Lake Annecy. The Crazy Paddle Games — a name as offbeat as the ambition — bring together a handful of enthusiasts for what will become the very first race of the Alpine Lakes Tour. Benoît Mouren, founder and soul of the project, doesn’t know it yet, but he has just lit a fuse that will burn for over a decade.

The Crazy Paddle Games, municipal beach of Sévrier — June 16, 2013

🎬 Crazy Paddle Games — Sévrier, 16 juin 2013 — The very first race of the Alpine Lakes Tour

The season takes off. Seven stages, seven bodies of water, seven different characters. Jérôme Alberto and his club open the doors to Lac de Serre-Ponçon in early July. Then comes Chens-sur-Léman, a small town in Haute-Savoie nestled on the French shore of Lake Geneva, in late July. In early August, the circuit crosses the border for a first Swiss stage at the Tropical Corner in Geneva, on Lake Geneva. Then the Beaufortain massif with the Roselend stage — a mountain dam lake, stark and magnificent. In late September, the Translac on Lake Bourget in Savoie. And to finish, as an improvised bonus: Lac des Confins in La Clusaz, on October 14.

🏁16 juin · Crazy Paddle Games · Sévrier, Lac d’Annecy — 1st race in ALT history
🏔️6 juillet · Serre-Ponçon · Organized by Jérôme Alberto and his club
🌊20 juillet · Chens-sur-Léman · French shore of Lake Geneva
🇨🇭3 août · Genève — Tropical Corner · 1st Swiss stage on Lake Geneva
⛰️18 août · Roselend · Mountain dam lake in Beaufortain
🚣28 septembre · Translac · Lake Bourget, Savoie
❄️14 oct. · Lac des Confins — La Clusaz · Bonus stage · In the snow!

The memory of La Clusaz. Nobody had expected the snow. Yet on October 14, 2013, the competitors paddled under a white blanket, in picture-postcard light. This kind of unexpected moment — splendid, absurd, unforgettable — is exactly the spirit of the Alpine Lakes Tour.

Lake des Confins under the snow — The memorable final of October 14, 2013

Lake Roselend — A picture-postcard setting for a memorable race

The TransLac on Lake Bourget — 2013

In total: 350 participants across 7 stages. A success beyond all expectations for a first year. The Alpine SUP community had found its gathering.

🏆 Rankings 2013

🥇
Men
Philippe Lachenal
144 pts

🥇
Women
Laurence Perrier Joubel
117 pts

🥇
Junior
Ugo Clay
64,5 pts

🥈
Men
Emmanuel Gardeil
143 pts — à 1 pt !

2014

The Expansion — and the Birth of the GlaGla

January 2014. Winter is in full swing on Lake Annecy. Benoît Mouren has a new crazy idea: organizing a race in the middle of winter, starting from NCY SUP in Sévrier. No big marketing, no heavy structure. Just an invitation sent to the community. 40 participants show up, from all over France. They had never experienced anything like it — paddling in January, in the cold, with a smile. The GlaGla Race was born.

The 1st GlaGla Race in Sévrier — January 2014

For the summer circuit, the ambition goes up a notch: 11 stages on the program, from late April to early November. The starting gun fires on April 26 at Lac des Confins (La Clusaz) — a lake still partially frozen. This is where two brothers make their remarkable entrance into the circuit: Jérémy and Ludovic Teulade. First steps in competition, first victories. A brotherhood that would mark the history of the tour.

Tignes, 2,100 meters altitude. On August 19, 2014, the Alpine Lakes Tour sets up in Vanoise for what was then the highest SUP race in Europe. Sprint format in 3 heats on Lac de Tignes, water at 6°C. Ugo Clay wins all 3 heats… after falling into the freezing water on the last lap. He gets back up, keeps going, wins. The tone was set.

Lake des Confins at La Clusaz — 2014 Season

Lake Laffrey — A legendary stage of the 2014 season

🧊Janv. · GlaGla Race · Sévrier · 40 participants · 1st informal edition
❄️26 avr. · Lac des Confins · La Clusaz · Partially frozen lake · Teulade brothers’ debut
🏔️1er juin · Lac du Sautet · Isère
🌊15 juin · Annecy · Lac d’Annecy
🏔️5-6 juil. · Serre-Ponçon · Hautes-Alpes
🇨🇭20 juil. · Genève — Tropical Corner · 1st edition on Lake Geneva, Swiss side · 5th stage of the circuit
⛰️16-17 août · Roselend · Beaufortain · Back-to-back weekend with Tignes
⛷️19 août · Tignes · 2 100m · Highest race in Europe · Ugo Clay (fall + victory!)
🌊30 août · Sciez-Yvoire · Lac Léman 🇫🇷
🇨🇭8 sept. · Lac de Joux · 1st SUP Race on a Jura lake · ALPS SUP · Teulade x2 on the podium
🏙️21 sept. · Lyon SUP & Kayak ·
🚣2-3 nov. · Canal de Savières · Final · 46 participants · Lachenal / Virginie Samson

The season ends on November 2-3 at the Canal de Savières, the 11th and final stage. 46 competitors under an autumn sky. Philippe Lachenal wins the overall, Virginie Samson prevails for a second consecutive year in the women’s category. The machine is running.

🏆 Rankings 2014

🥇
Men
Philippe Lachenal
2nd consecutive title

🥇
Women
Virginie Samson
2nd consecutive title

🥇
Inflatable
Valentin Henry

🥇
Junior
Ugo Clay
2nd consecutive title

In two years: 17 stages, hundreds of participants, lakes in France, Switzerland, in the mountains, on the plains, in winter, under the snow. The Alpine Lakes Tour is like no other circuit. That’s exactly why it exists.

📺 To be continued…

2015. The GlaGla Race leaves its informal status behind and becomes a true winter event — 100 participants, double the previous year. The ALT circuit grows further. And somewhere in the Alps, a new race takes shape: the BAT Race. The Teulade brothers confirm their talent. The lakes grow more numerous. The adventure continues.

🏄 Want to join the Alpine Lakes Tour adventure?