Some orders are out of the ordinary. When La Chill Asso asked us to make the medals for its first triathlon, we said yes straight away: a lake, mountains, a course to engrave and athletes to reward — exactly what we love doing with wood. Here are the photos of the day, and the story of these medals.
A wooden medal, engraved with the landscape of the race
Rather than an anonymous metal medal, the organisers wanted an object that tells the story of the place. So we designed a round medal in light-coloured wood, cut and laser-engraved in our workshop in Thônes, Haute-Savoie. It shows everything the triathletes went through that day:
- Lake Aiguebelette and its wooded shore, with fir trees in the foreground;
- the mountains closing the horizon above the lake, engraved in hatching like a sketch;
- the course route, a continuous line winding above the landscape;
- the name of the event, the date 19 September and the word FINISHER in solid letters on the bottom tab.
Wood has an advantage metal doesn't: every medal is slightly different in grain and tone, and the burn of the engraving gives the design a relief you can feel under your finger. It is also much lighter to wear around your neck after a race.
The Chill Triathlon, a triathlon among friends at Lake Aiguebelette
The Chill Triathlon is organised by La Chill Asso, an association founded in summer 2026 to “organise sporting and cultural events that bring friends and enthusiasts together in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere”. The idea is simple: mix friends, sport, challenge and good spirits, without the pressure of an official competition.
The first edition was held on Saturday 19 September 2026 at Lake Aiguebelette in Savoie, one of the warmest and greenest lakes in the Alps:
- 750 m swim starting from the lake harbour;
- 23 km bike ride around the lake, with 340 m of elevation gain;
- 5 km run from the harbour towards La Combe.
It can be raced solo or as a relay team of two or three. To follow the next editions, sign up or lend a hand as a volunteer, head to the association's website: lachillasso.fr.
An Aiguille Verte and Drus lamp given away on the day
To mark this first edition, we also brought one of our mountain lamps and gave it away on the day: the Aiguille Verte and Drus lamp. It is one of the most spectacular reliefs in the Mont Blanc massif: the Verte rises to 4,122 m, and the twin granite spires of the Drus stand right in front of it, above Chamonix. On the lamp, the relief is reproduced from real topographic data and backlit with a warm light, on a pear-wood base turned in the workshop.
Wooden medals or trophies for your event?
Road race, trail, triathlon, club tournament, school cross-country or community gathering: we make custom engraved wooden medals, trophies and plaques in small or medium runs. Send us your logo, the date, your course route or the landscape of your race, and we will design with you a medal that won't end up at the bottom of a drawer. Everything is cut and engraved in our workshop in Thônes, near Annecy, just like our kitchen utensils and our mountain lamps.
Tell us about your project, quantity and date through our custom-made service: we will come back to you with a design proposal and a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Who made the Chill Triathlon 2026 medals?
Les idées de la forêt (Ideas from the Wood), a craft workshop in Thônes, Haute-Savoie. Each finisher medal was laser-cut and engraved in light-coloured wood, with Lake Aiguebelette, its mountains and the course route.
Can you make wooden medals for our race or event?
Yes. We design custom engraved wooden medals, trophies and plaques for associations, clubs and sports event organisers: your logo, the date, the course or a landscape. Tell us about your project on our custom-made page.
What is the Chill Triathlon?
A friendly triathlon organised by La Chill Asso at Lake Aiguebelette in Savoie: a 750 m swim, a 23 km bike ride around the lake and a 5 km run, solo or as a relay. The first edition took place on Saturday 19 September 2026.