Mike Kinziger said Tuesday morning that his canoe trip with Jay Thurston down the Wisconsin River would be defined likely by one major factor -- the wind.

Strong winds had created rolling waves on all of the bigger lakes and flowages they’ve had to cross. After a good morning on the water paddling from the Biron dam through Wisconsin Rapids to Port Edwards, the pair were thinking ahead to crossing the 20-mile long Petenwell Flowage and wondering if they could actually get it done.

“The story about this trip should be about all of the planning, the skill involved, how we’ve picked our shoots down the river, but that won’t be it,” Kinziger said. “It will be about the wind. Yesterday was such a strange day. We were just waiting. I actually got to visit with some friends in Stevens Point. It was nice, but we should be paddling.”

Kinziger said he and Thurston were both strong and physically well, but ultimately, “you can’t make miles if you aren’t in the water.”

Kinziger and Thurston are more than half way through a 436-mile trip down the Wisconsin River.

“We’re going to take some time to plan our approach to Petenwell,” Thurston said. “We’ll have to see what it looks like when we get there. Right now the wind wouldn’t be too bad, but every day the wind has picked up at about this time. It’s going to be breezy.”

The Broadcaster will have its next update on the canoe trip at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Website updates will be available subject to cell phone reception and the support needs of Thurston and Kinziger as they head downstream. Jay Thurston, 75, of Viroqua and Mike Kinziger, 60, of Moscow, Idaho, are attempting to paddle the length of the Wisconsin River. Their itinerary calls for them to finish in six days and 10 hours, which would set a new speed record for canoeing the river. Jay and Mike appreciate the support they’ve received from family and friends through the internet posts they’ve received on this chain of stories.