MADISON COUNTY, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Teams of 20 paddlers row in unison to speed past their competitors on the Ross Barnett Reservoir. The better they work together, the better they do. Maybe WLBT's Firebirds got lucky winning first place during the initial round of elimination.
"We were burning up the water, we won! Paddling not quite in sync but we'll get it next time, so everyone had a blast," says WLBT's Marsha Thompson, team captain.
The teams are pumped full of adrenaline before they venture out. "We feel great, we're the reigning champs, we're gonna hold our title today. Baptist Bandits!" said one competitor.
More than 30 teams are competing Saturday morning, twice as many as last year. They're companies, nonprofits, churches, and clubs. Members work together in a unique way, and each link in the chain is essential.
"It's a different kind of toughness, but it's a lot of fun. It's something we like to do," says Donavan Perry of the "We Kilt The Dragon" team, made up of young professionals.
Cartoonist Marshall Ramsey is the host of the event, put on by the Madison County Chamber of Commerce. "There's families, a lot of food, people just having a party out here in the reservoir," he says.
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