PASCAGOULA—Whether you are a competitive kayaker or a leisurely kayaker enjoying scenery, the Pascagoula River Paddle Battle has something for everyone on its 11.5-mile course.
The 8th annual Paddle Battle is set for October 18 and showcases the beauty of the Pascagoula River trail and the cherished history of the LaPointe-Krebs Home on Krebs Lake. The Pascagoula River is one of the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s officially designated water trails and offers a uniquely adventurous perspective of the region’s abundant natural beauty and native wildlife. Known as the “Singing River”, the Pascagoula River is the largest free flowing river system in the contiguous United States.
The Pascagoula River Paddle Battle is open to all types of human powered paddle craft starts at the Little River Marina in Moss Point and ends at the LaPointe-Krebs House in Pascagoula. To assist racers, shuttles will be provided back to the race start after the battle has ended. It has been sponsored since 2017 by the Pascagoula Paradise Paddlers and is underwritten by the LaPointe-Krebs Foundation.
Eric Richards, one of the event organizers and an avid kayaker, said he participates in the planning and paddling to share his love for paddling and the beauty of the river system. He said it is also a great way to test his stamina and visit with old friends and make new friends.
“We call ourselves the Pascagoula Paradise Paddlers, but we’re not an organization,” he said. “We’re just a group of six friends that enjoy paddling and each other’s company. We’ve partnered with the LaPointe Krebs Foundation to make the race happen, and we love to get others involved in paddling, especially newcomers.”
The Paradise Paddlers offer monthly paddling opportunities, and Richards said that anyone that paddles soon develops a sense of appreciation for the local waterways and automatically becomes stewards of our environment.
A meeting of all participants will take place on Friday, October 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Jury Room in downtown Pascagoula. This is where all participants will receive final instructions and the racers packet. The registration fee $70 per vessel that includes a swag bag and event t-shirt. Participants who are ACA (American Canoe Association) members will receive a $10 discount. Click HERE to register.
The initial goal of this event was to showcase the beauty of the Pascagoula River and promote the historic LaPointe-Krebs House and the city of Pascagoula. But, Richards said it has become so much more. With up to 100 participants annually, he said it is also all about fun on the water.
“The fun aspect comes from paddling in a beautiful setting. The race starts where the river is still running through cypress swamps and flooded bottom lands and transitions into the river delta, flowing through myriad marsh bayous,” he said sharing the views. “Beyond the scenery, it’s a great day when you can paddle alongside friends or people that you have never met. Either way, the social aspect is first class because you’re naturally going to be paddling near others at a similar pace and paddle conversation is always fun.”
If 11.5 miles seems like a long Trek, Richards said not to let that be an obstacle from participating. He said some of the participants are competitive racers who see this as a fairly short race while others see it as a long distance. Either way, he suggests to carb up and hydrate before the event to prepare for the two to four-hour paddle.
“Pace yourselves to your particular conditioning level so that you don’t wear yourselves out in the 3 to 4 hours it may take,” he added. “For the ‘racers’, this all about the competition and getting to the finish line first in their category. To everyone else, it’s a great way to test their stamina and skills.”
Since there are numerous categories that include non-race style kayaks, those racing have a good chance at winning a first, second, or third place trophy. The perk for the casual paddlers is that they get to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Lunch and beverages will be available for all at the finish line where an awards ceremony will take place.
