The second annual Dominion Riverrock sports and river life festival kicks off MAY 14-15 in Richmond, VA, featuring big air and boatercross kayaking, 'mud running', mountain and freestyle biking, live music and more.

Check out the events schedule and register for events on the new website, www.dominionriverrock.com. If you're from the area or planning a trip to Virginia, this sounds like a fun festival to celebrate spring and being active outdoors. The following press release has more information on the festival.

Sports Backers and Venture Richmond announced today the sporting event schedule for this year’s Dominion Riverrock, including running, biking, kayaking and more. The second annual sports and riverlife festival will be held on Brown’s Island in Richmond, VA May 14-15, 2010. Athletes of all types and levels can register at the event’s new web site launched today, www.dominionriverrock.com.  

This two-day festival celebrates Richmond’s vibrant and active river life with a series of sporting events – trail running, mountain biking, kayaking, freestyle biking and ultimate air dogs – along with musical performances, food vendors, exhibits and much more.

“We are so excited about growing into our second year,” says Dominion Riverrock Co-Founder Jeff Fitch. “We’ve opened sporting events to all ages and ability levels. And with all of the sports, food vendors, exhibits and a national music act each night, there’s something for everyone at Dominion Riverrock.”

The following events will be featured in this year’s festival:

RUNNING EVENTS
(Online registration for the running events is currently open)
Filthy 5k Mud Run – Friday, May 14
Get down and dirty with your friends and family for this 5k race across Richmond’s Belle Isle. Throughout the course, participants plow through several unique obstacles and into a mud pit just before crossing the finish line on Brown’s Island.
James River Scramble 10k – Saturday, May 15
This one of a kind off-road trail run features steep climbs, rock hopping, and magnificent river views. It is open to all participants who are up for a challenge.  

BIKING EVENTS
(Online registration for the biking events begins March 1st)
Freestyle “Slopestyle” – Friday, May 14
World-class riders compete on a challenging course designed by one of the pros, Jeff Lenosky. Scoring is based on a combination of speed and quality of jumps. There will be qualifying and a final round.
Freestyle “Best Trick” – Saturday, May 15
Freeriders challenge the laws of gravity as they throw 360 tailwhips and backflips in this best trick contest.
Urban Assault Mountain Bike Race – Saturday, May 15
Competitors can choose between the 8-mile or 15-mile loop of the famous James River Park trails, considered one of the most technically challenging urban trail systems in the country. The mountain bike course includes steep up hill and downhill single track trails, stairs over railroad tracks, tunnels, bridges, creek crossings and many other natural obstacles.  

KAYAKING EVENTS
(Online registration for Big Air begins March 1st/ Registration for Boatercross is currently open)
Big Air – Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15
New this year, kayakers will launch themselves down a ramp and perform backflips and spins while trying to land upright in the canal. The qualifying round will take place on Friday and finals will follow on Saturday.
Boatercross – Saturday, May 15
Heats of four kayaks will race head to head down the James River’s turbulent Brown’s Island rapid. The top two boats advance to the next round. In the end, the final four competitors will duke it out in the championship round of Boatercross.

ULTIMATE AIR DOG EVENTS
(Online registration for the Ultimate Air Dog events begins March 1, 2010)
Ultimate Air – Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15
Canines go paws to the wall to prove who is top dog! In the Ultimate Air competition, man’s best friends will launch themselves down a runway into a 25-foot pool trying to get as much air as possible. No fetching skills needed in this event. There will be qualifying rounds on Friday and Saturday. Finals will be on Saturday.
Catch It! – Friday, May 14
Catch It! Is similar to Ultimate Air, where two jumps for each dog are judged by distance. However, the dog MUST catch the object thrown for the jump to count.
Fetch It! – Saturday, May 15
Fetch It! Is similar to Ultimate Air, where two jumps for each dog are judged by distance. However, the dog MUST grab the object hanging over the pool for the jump to count.