The Paddler ezine Issue 53 Late Spring 2020 | Page 144

ThePADDLER 144 ADRIAN COOPER OPEN CANOE FESTIVAL, DRÔME VALLEY, FRANCE Paul Villecourt has been the organiser for the Ooen Canoe Festival for the past nine events, although over slightly more than nine years. Indeed, one year when it was not on, I took a group of friends to the event campsite to run the river despite the lack of a festival. The festival plays host to several hundred paddlers from all over Europe and is a great place to make new friends whilst paddling knew of the best whitewater canoeing rivers in the area. Having attended five previous festivals I was looking forward to the tenth anniversary which was unfortunately cancelled due to the coronavirus. I’ll definitely be at the next one. The pictures are of me on the last weir before the take out although the authorities have now changed this so it is a bigger bang but much more straightforward. Photos: Paul Villecourt Adrian is a long standing canoeist in the UK and a recipient of the British Canoeing Long Service Award for volunteers who have committed 25 years or more to paddlesport. Catch up with him @ https://www.facebook.com/adrian.cooper.9231 OTTILIE ROBINSON-SHAW SLAVE RIVER, NWT, CANADA Like everyone here in the UK at least, I’m massively missing not only my regular training but all the paddling trips planned and especially all the competitions now postponed at best. I was lucky to have Galway Fest as the first competition of the year and would be heading off to Colorado in the next couple of weeks for the Colorado tour including the Go Pro games before heading home for a summer of European competitions but sadly that is not to be. For me my Easter paddling would have definetly been spent paddling and training at Holme Pierrepont however, a summer day on the Ottawa or maybe the mighty Slave River might just top my wish list right now. Ottie is two times ICF Freestyle Junior World Champion, European Champion and four times British Champion. At just 18 she is raising the bar in women’s freestyle and has her sights set on the senior title at the next World Championships in 2021. Catch her @ https://www.instagram.com/ottie_rs