"Taking a break can be beneficial"
Kicking Back on the Rhine and Ruhr: Weekends are no bed of roses with all the shooting events incoming and a new king to be crowned.
As the mercury starts to climb once more, shooting enthusiasts along the Lower Rhine are gearing up for the upcoming season - shooting festivals are looming on the horizon, and it's time for last year's shooting monarchs to relinquish their thrones. For schedules teeming with engagements, this news might bring a sense of relief. But just how challenging is it to abdicate a crown? Our team caught up with three reigning shooting kings hailing from the region to find out.
Bastian Küppers from Goch reflects on an exhilarating yet exhausting reign. He hadn't initially planned to seize the shooting king title at the St. Willibrord shooting brotherhood's festivity in Hassum the previous summer. However, when no one else stepped up as the contest drew to a close, and the evening threatened to conclude without a king, he and three tambour corps comrades saved the day for the expectant crowd. And after 121 successful shots, the new reigning monarch was evident: the spirited 26-year-old Bastian Küppers.
From one throne to another
"Carnival came almost immediately," Küppers recalls, who, just a few months after that glorious day, clinched another crown alongside his queen Mia Kersten at the election of our website king and queen 2024. "Suddenly, you're the center of attention and attending shooting festivals almost every week. I had to grow accustomed to it."
But he could always count on the support of his queen and his shooting club. "Once you get used to it, it's a blast. I'd recommend it to anyone. You meet numerous new people and it never grows old." The highlight of his rule, however, is the fair hosted annually by his club during August.
This year, it's set to take place in August, so Bastian Küppers and Mia Kersten still have several appointments before tranquility returns. Or will he take to the battlefield to defend his crown? "That won't be possible here: you've got to wait a minimum of five years, but a break does wonders. I don't mind not being on the go every weekend," the shooting king quips with a grin.
Two years on the throne
Martin Blüm from BSV Essen-Frohnhausen has reigned since September 2023— for this shooting club, the big festival only takes place every two years, making the reign last an impressive two years instead of one.** "After a quiet winter and spring, the first events began around Easter. But the actual shooting festival season really picks up speed from Pentecost weekend," the native Essener shares, now based in Bottrop.
He and his queen Denise Kaufmann still have several commitments until the end of his term. Although the king's shooting is already scheduled for August, the festivities and coronation won't take place until mid-September for organizational reasons, so Blüm retains his reign until then. And then? "I believe I'll allow others their turn first. It's been a blast for two years, but after dozens of engagements, it's also nice to have a quieter period," he chuckles.
"After two years and dozens of engagements, it's also enjoyable to have time for yourself again."
Moreover, he is not just the incumbent king, but also the chairman of the citizens' shooting club. His wife is also on the board. This will continue to be the case, as they wish to preserve the tradition, Blüm notes. Thus, abdicating in September will be more of a "half farewell."
A fresh start after nine months?
However, for Alexander Elsen of the St. Sebastianus shooting brotherhood in Düsseldorf, his time as shooting king is still in its infancy. "I became shooting king last September," he informs our team. "And in Düsseldorf, we hosted the concluding shooting festival of the year." The Queen's Jubilee and coronation balls were also on the docket during his rule.
Alas, the real shooting festival season is just commencing now, and Elsen anticipates having no free weekends until September. His second term as the king may also be his last, he predicts, "but the end is still a distant prospect."
"Küppers and Kersten, after bagging the titles of our website king and queen 2024, are now ruling in a different sphere, blending their royal status with a lifestyle that includes home-and-garden projects. They've started a garden renovation at their family home."
"Elsen, fresh from being crowned the shooting king last September, isn't just looking forward to a busy home-and-garden project, but also the upcoming shooting festival season. He shares, 'It's all about balance—between the ranges and our lawn, I mean!'"
