In 1976, at the Marine Corps Recruit Training Depot, one of several favorite exercises offered by the drill instructors to help break the monotony was known as “bends and thrusts.”

As the name implies, this exercise involves bending the body at the waist while placing one’s hands on the ground, then thrusting the legs to the rear, then reversing the procedure to return upright.

Bends and thrusts, we were assured, was for our own good, and in the three months I spent there I saw only one recruit face-plant into the asphalt while so engaged. His name was Schlauter.

Much must be accomplished in the 90 short days it takes to mold a civilian into a Marine, however, and fortunately for Schlauter and the rest of us, most drill instructors had a rather short attention span. As a result, bends and thrusts sessions were often curtailed under the burden of other pressing duties, such as teaching recruits to ding the enemy, 10 out of 10, at 500 meters with an M-16.

I was thinking of young Schlauter recently, as I bent, without thrusting, to retrieve the butts that fans of Winston, Camel, Marlboro and Salem had left for me, along Silver Street. It was a beautiful morning, and I was happy to have the opportunity. As Greg Iles pointed out recently, the Under-the-Hill area of Natchez is a treasure — one which is badly in need of development. Much can be done, provided the leadership in this community begins to act, instead of bicker.

Fortunately, some are listening. David Atkins, assistant city engineer, and assistant supervisor for Natchez Water Works is definitely listening. I alerted his office to our need to have the Water Street area cleaned and bushhogged before the race, and have the Fulton Street Ramp cleared of debris, and Mr. Atkins and his work force leapt into action.

On Wednesday before the Phatwater, Under-The-Hill came alive with the type of assistance and professionalism we often take for granted. Natchez has a proud, thoroughly professional public works department. And when Chris Trippe, Allen and Beth Richard, Kate Eidt, Adam Elliott, Curtis Maroney, Gene Laird and Liz Dantone showed up to place a trailer and the B&K tent, and set up our timekeepers’ apparatus, they were met with a freshly clipped, clean field, swept of trash and driftwood from last spring, and an unobstructed view of the buoy line marking the Phatwater Phinish.

Speaking of the buoy line, I have to mention Chris Gibson and Billy Sutton here, who together, spent several hours on Friday, before the Phatwater, setting our finish line, before spending much of the next day serving as safety boaters for the Phatwater, along with Charles Feltus, Curtis Gibson, Kevin Colbert, Jim Lindley, Randy Meng, Forrest Flinn and Ron Jenkins. I should also mention Mark Coffey here, for whom I would like to offer a special thanks for his effort in supporting us not only with outstanding photography, but also for providing a waterborne platform for the German television crew, Arté TV, of Berlin. Arté TV is headed by producer Peter Adler, whose coverage will project Natchez and the Phatwater into the European viewing market for the coming decade.

Addressing other special efforts, I would like to recognize our Premier Sponsors: David and Betty Paradise, Peggy Pierrepont, Greg Iles, Jeff Rowell, Randy Tillman and Great River Chevy-Nissan. Such support as they’ve provided is the life blood that will keep the Phatwater and Kayak Mississippi on the river. To Dennis Engel, Heather and Jamie Kearney, David Lloyd, Dr. Andy Bonwit, Anne and Joe Zellner, Layne Browning, Shannon Parker, André Farish, Modi Mascagni, Joe Glickman, and Police Chief Mike Mullins, we owe a debt we can never fully repay.

Others who provided unselfishly to our call for financial assistance include Adam Elliott and his parents, Jean and Stephen, of Hartselle, Ala., Stephanie Hutchins and Southwest Distributors, Mo LeBlanc and Brown Bottling Group, Shields Brown, Sherry and Lee Jones, Sally Young, Benoist Law Offices, Ralph Shields, Dr. Kenneth and Karen Stubbs, First Natchez Radio Group, Rosco and Mickey, Connie Taunton, Sally Durkin and the Natchez CVB and Mississippi Development Authority, Paul Green, Tensas State Bank, Two-J Ranch, Del Loy and Supermarket Operations, Tyler Productions, Lindsey Callon, Graning Oil/Go-Mart, Callon Petroleum, Mac Consulting Group of Baton Rouge, Landscape Resources, Energy Drilling, Susan and Guy Hollingsworth, Fat Mama’s, Delta Bank, Concordia Bank, Chuck and Di McHenry of Ironton, Mo., Chris Marmande, Dr. Carrie Iles, Braxton Hobdy, Byrne Sawmill Services, Dr. Charles Borum, Bill Byrne, Bill McGehee, Blankenstein’s, Aldridge Operating, Scott Nisula, Julie St. Ripling, Barefoot Tendencies, Lance Turnage, LeAnne Mason, Steele Petroleum, Philip Carby, Lakeside Ford, Natchez Regional Hospital, Steven Stern, and a special thanks to Terry Vandeventer, Mike Worley, and John Holyoak. We would also like to thank Metro Ambulance Services, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Ensign Jason Erickson and crew from the United States Coast Guard, Sector LMR, of Memphis, Tenn.

There is no point at which the Phatwater and Kayak Mississippi are complete. So if you are interested in doing a little bending or thrusting with us, next October, let us know now.

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