Amid a picturesque sunset over the James River on Saturday night, cheers mingled with music and the rush of rapids as a couple hundred onlookers and roughly 100 paddle sports enthusiasts gathered at Pipeline Trail for the third annual “Sun’s Down Surf’s Up Rodeo.”

The kayaking and whitewater rafting event, put on via a partnership between RVA Paddlesports , James River Outdoor Coalition (JROC) and local digital production studio Neon Ghost , sought to advocate for access to Pipeline Trail, which is currently closed to the public.

Attendees either paddled down the river to join or waded across from Pipeline Overlook. Kayakers, rafters and a few bodyboarders freestyled on Pipeline’s third drop and competed for prizes.

DJ Graham Copeland, the founder and creative director of Neon Gho

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