photo courtesy GWN Dragon Boat
Get your paddles ready, Richmond, but not for a kayak or a canoe. It will be dragon boats that fly across the water of the James on July 31.
The ancient Chinese sport will come to Richmond in the form of the city's first International Dragon Boat Festival at Rocketts Landing.
A dragon boat, basically a racing scull with a dragon's head, holds 20 paddlers, a steersperson and a drummer. The Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation, a beneficiary of the event, is sponsoring two teams.
"The winners will get trophies, medals and, of course, bragging rights," says Aaron Soroka, chief operating officer for Great White North Dragon Boat, the Canadian firm sponsoring the event.
For details, visit gwndragonboat.com .