NATCHEZ — The days of worrying about the potential future of the Phatwater Kayak Challenge appear to be over, thanks to the power of television.

The national news network CNN will air a feature about the race today.

Race director Keith Benoist said the news report is a great — and unexpected — boost for the Phatwater Challenge.

“This completely fell out of the sky on us,” Benoist said. “This is a huge shot in the arm for us. We expect to recruit some participants for the race from this report.

Benoist said that CNN camera man and producer for the New Orleans bureau, Ken Tillis, competed in the Phatwater Challenge last year and loved it so much, he wanted to keep in touch with Benoist.

Then, the week after Independence Day, Tillis came up again to do a kayak tour of the Mississippi River with Benoist and told him he’d like to film it for a CNN sports special.

“He did a four-hour shoot from Waterproof, La., down to Natchez,” Benoist said. “He edited it and put it together. It’s about a two minute segment that includes interviews with other paddlers.

“Our segment will air with two or three other non-mainstream sporting activities. It would give anyone viewing it a great idea of what it’s like.”

Benoist said both Tillis and the reporter for the piece, Sean Callebs, will be back to compete in the Phatwater Challenge this year.

They won’t be the only more high profile people competing in the event on Oct. 11. There will be a special participant there as well.

South African paddler Oscar Chalupsky will also be participating.

Chalupsky is an 11-time winner of the Molokai Challenge, widely regarded as the unofficial world surf ski championship, and is considered the world’s best ocean paddler.

“Oscar is the Michael Jordan of kayaking,” Benoist said. “This is huge for us. His name an presence carry great weight in the kayaking world. Where Oscar is, others will surely follow.”

Chalupsky will be competing for a $2,000 prize to the first person that can complete the course in less than four hours.

A $1,000 prize was offered last year, but a strong headwind prevented the winner of the race, Mike Herbert, from breaking the four-hour mark.

“Oscar and Mike will be battling it out for the $2,000 prize,” Benoist said. “It should be a great race.”

The race is on Oct. 11 and registration will take place all day on Oct. 10 at the Under-the-Hill Saloon and Country Inn and Suites.