For months we’ve been preparing for the seventh annual Phatwater Kayak Challenge, hoping to predict wind and water conditions for race day — Oct. 11.

As radical as circumstances were a year ago with record-low water, gumbo-mud and boulders on the finish line, and our conundrum in finding adequate launch sites for our fleet of safety boats, this year we are looking at record high river levels. With them come the questions: “Can you tell me what the relative humidity will be during the race?” I was asked that recently by a concerned Texan on his way to his first Phatwater.

“I can,” I replied. “But that is privileged information, known only to the Phatwater committee and God, and until I am given permission to release this information en masse, I’m afraid it will have to remain confidential.”

This seemed to satisfy him. Then, “Well, what are the chances it will be raining? I wear tri-focals. Rain really messes up my vision when I paddle.”

“Don’t worry,” I told him. “Just keep it pointed downstream. We’ll stop you if you go too far.”

It is not likely any of our paddlers will go too far, of course. Forty-two an a half miles on the Phatwater is sort of like retirement. When you finally get there, you’ll be ready for it. But, oh, what a ride it is in the meantime.

We will start this year with what may be as many as 150 paddlers, from all parts of the globe. One such part — where offshore kayaking rules — is South Africa. In attendance at the Phatwater from the seaside burg of Durban, South Africa, will be Steve Woods, one of the top-ranked paddlers in the Molokai Challenge International Surfski Championship, from Molokai to Oahu, Hawaii, this past May.

Alongside Steve, perhaps tailing, perhaps leading, will be returning veteran, three time Olympian and Phatwater Record Holder, Mike Herbert, of Rogers, Ark. Last October Mike was on track to break the four hour mark, but 20 mph headwinds dashed his hopes and he finished, though disappointed, with a new Phatwater record time of 4:16:55.

Mike and Steve will match paddle strokes for the better part of four hours, never once stopping until they cross the Phatwater finish at Natchez Under-The-Hill. Should they break the four-hour mark, the first to do so will take away a $2,000 cash prize.

Other competitors to watch for will be Texan Brad Pennington, who recently set a new record in the Yukon River Quest, a grueling 460-mile ultra-marathon from Whitehorse to Dawson. Alongside Brad and the others will be returning Phatwater veteran, Briton Chris Hipgrave, the High Performance Director for USACK, at the U.S. Olympic kayaking training facility in Charlotte, N.C. On par with each of these athletes will be veteran marathon racer Erik Borgnes from Sturgeon Bay, Wis. Others of comparable competitive construction, I’m told, will be here as well.

Granted, 150 paddlers strung out over 40-plus miles is, for some, on the order of watching oil drip from the pan at a Jiffy-Lube.

The best we can hope for is an 0830 Cannonade, at Grand Gulf, the morning of Oct. 11. All who would like to attend the start of the race as spectators are welcome to do so. There is plenty of room, and it’s quite exciting. To get to the put-in, just drive to Port Gibson, continue on U.S. 61 to the Grand Gulf State Park sign, three miles north of Port Gibson, then follow the Phatwater signs to the port facility. Following the start you can return to Natchez and converge on the parking lot at Water Street, Under-The-Hill, where by noon, and with the aid of binoculars, you should be able to see the beginnings of the finish as paddles flail the Phatwater from three miles upstream. Paddlers can be identified by their boat numbers, which will be clearly in view. But please, don’t bother the timekeeper. He’s ornery at times and could react with something short of Southern hospitality.

From 12:30 until approximately 3:30 p.m., paddlers in all forms of craft will be crossing the finish line at the foot of the ramp, right before your very eyes. Astonishing, I know, but then that’s what the Phatwater is all about — the electrifying competition of man, woman and child, completing this epic passage on the most well-known river on Earth, the Mississippi.

But wait, there’s more. You can even add to the excitement by purchasing a Phatwater T-Shirt, embroidered ball-cap or Phatwater Bowie knife raffle ticket while awaiting the arrival of all paddlers. All money from raffle sales will go to the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society, a most worthy cause, regardless of the relative humidity.

This year’s fourth annual Phatwater Bowie, by Mississippi’s own Terry Vandeventer, can be seen at Bowie Outfitters, where raffle tickets can be purchased prior to the Phatwater. For questions about the Phatwater Bowie or information on volunteering for or participating in the Phatwater, please contact us: 601-431-1731 or 807-1216. The Phatwater Kayak Challenge, LLC, in partnership with the Natchez Adams County Community Alliance Foundation, enjoys tax exempt status. All contributions to the Phatwater and purchases of Phatwater Bowie raffle tickets are tax deductible.

Keith Benoist is the organizer of the annual Phatwater Kayak Challenge.