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LIVING
RECREATION
FLOAT ON A uniquely Jamesian tradition hits the water for the 41st time By Kevin Johnson
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ore than 200 years ago, the James River looked like a highway. An estimated 500 flat-bottomed cargo boats clogged the curves and rapids between Richmond and Lynchburg, shuttling supplies and merchandise in both directions and fueling the state economy. The batteau — invented in Amherst County in the 1700s and used regularly until industrialization outpaced it in the mid-1800s — was born not just
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out of need, but out of an appreciation for the James River. The boat and path it forged became a piece of Virginia heritage observed by luminaries such as Thomas Jefferson (who reportedly attended the launch of the first-ever batteau in 1775) and memorialized in paintings, sculptures and even on the city of Richmond’s flag. While that’s where it started, the batteau and its journey have formed a new tradition, blending history with recreation and the same passion for the James. For just over 40 years, the James River Batteau Festival has brought together river lovers for an eight-day, 120-mile journey from Lynchburg to Maidens Landing between Powhatan and Goochland counties, celebrating and honoring the legacy of the batteau’s heyday. Crews ride in teams of seven or so, consisting of friends and families; these form the backbone that keeps the tradition alive. Will Smith, an Amherst County
native, is part of that backbone. “It was always one of the focal points of the entire summer in my household. At an early age, I was on the boats. I would ride on my dad’s boat for a day or two [during the] week,” he says. Smith’s father, Ralph Smith, is the current president of the Virginia Canals and Navigation Society, the organization behind the festival, and was part of the inaugural float in May 1986. Smith eventually aged into rides of his own, forming his own batteau crew of lifelong friends in 2006. “Once you get batteauing in your blood, it is very hard to put this down,” he says. “Among my friends, one of the things that we always talked about when we were younger is that we might not be home for Christmas this year, but we’re definitely going to be home for the James River Batteau Festival.” While community events in major river stops like Lynchburg and Scottsville allow kayakers, canoers and those left on
SAM GIOVANETTI
Just as they were at their inception, batteaux are steered with long, wooden poles.
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my kids still think it’s cool that I have a jersey and I race on the track with them.” From the asphalt curves of Gillies Creek Park to the ramps and dirt jumps beside Powers Bike Shop on Williamsburg Road, groups like Staley’s prove BMX is alive and well in Richmond a half-century after the sport’s inception. BMX originated as a way for kids to emulate their dirtbike idols, catching air from ramps and racing around pump tracks. The cycle sport shares many traits with the motorized version. The 1971 documentary “On Any Sunday” gave rise to BMX; although it chronicles motocross, its title sequence features kids riding bicycles on dirt tracks. BMX started in Richmond around the same time it took off across the country, although organized leagues came later. “Basically, kids kept modifying their Schwinn Stingrays [by] taking motorcycle handlebars and making them fit,” says Chad Powers, the owner of Powers Bike Shop. “Then, Schwinn started making BMX bikes that looked like motorcycles. … They were just kind of imitating motocross, and that quickly
JAY PAUL
hen Sarah Staley’s oldest son got interested in BMX — short for bicycle motocross — in 2023, she saw an opportunity few others might have considered. Her husband, JD, raced as a teenager, so the duo helped start the Misfits RVA BMX Team later that year. With JD coaching the team and even her toddler on a bike, Staley decided to ask if any of the other mothers at races wanted to ride, too. “I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to talk to some other moms, and we should also have fun,’” Staley says. “It’s like our weekly cardio. A few of us just started racing for fun, and we still race for fun. … I think just the friendships and seeing other moms get out there has been really refreshing.” Now, Staley’s crew of 10 moms is part of the tapestry of BMX enthusiasts racing at Gillies Creek Park, usually hitting the track on Sunday afternoons or Monday nights. “My kids think I’m super cool, even though I usually have to race with the teenage girls who are lightning speed and I usually just clean up their dust,” she adds with a laugh. “But
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busy working out, riding my bike, so I ride my bike almost every day.”
Helping people ride is a priority for many in the BMX community. “We’ve got a lot of families that can’t afford to buy bikes or helmets, so we always sponsor some kids,” Wiley says. “If we see kids out on a regular basis, we’ll give them helmets or let them borrow a bike, … and when they show a lot of interest, we definitely pay for their [USA BMX] membership and pay for the races.” The track also partners with RADshare, a Richmond-based nonprofit that promotes BMX participation, safety and accessibility. “I was impacted at such a young age [by BMX] that I want to share what was so rad about BMX with the next generation of kids and create opportunities for them,” says cofounder and Program Director Steve Crandall, who moved to Richmond in 2009. Known in the riding world as the originator of influential BMX brand FBM Bikes, an X Games judge and an announcer for the Vans BMX Pro Cup Series, he founded RADshare during the COVID-19 pandemic. “[It’s] to show people in Richmond how cool BMX is, but also create a space where kids can actually interact and par-
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LEFT AND BELOW: JAY PAUL
Steve Crandall, cofounder and program director of RADshare
ticipate with the pros,” Crandall says of the organization, “kind of motivate them and give them a little bit of taste of something beyond the digital world.” Many communities are building skate parks and pump tracks, Crandall says — there are at least five in the Richmond region — but participation is still out of reach for some due to the price of the specialized equipment. “We were riding bikes down at the Gillies Creek pump track and noticed there were kids that wanted to get involved in BMX; they just didn’t have access to safe or affordable bikes or gear,” he explains, adding that entry-level BMX bikes often cost $300 to $500. “That kind of sparked the idea.” While Crandall got started with hand-me-down gear and secondhand bikes — he says Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace can be resources for finding used equipment — he wanted to create easier access to the sport by providing free helmets and bikes. (Risk is as much a part of BMX as any sport, so Crandall, Powers and others recommend wearing a cycling-specific helmet and pads.) RADshare also organizes BMX-related community events such as Rumble in Richmond, a semi-annual race weekend featuring X Games- and Olympic-level riders; Ryan Nyquist visited last year. “Getting [Olympic] and X Games medalists to come to Richmond to hang out with the kids was something that I felt was a little bit more important than just trying to sell stuff to people,” Crandall says, adding that his prior contacts from the BMX world helped him start RADshare. “It’s creating these experiences that kids can take something from that could be life changing.” Wiley says professional riders visit the track on a regular basis — stars Barry Nobles, Cutter Williams and Nic Long all stopped by in 2025, and pro rider Will Grant hosted a camp at the track in April.
But BMX is not just for those looking to go pro. “I’m 50, and I get on my bike and go,” Wiley says. “I’m not good at it, but I do it. I think that’s really the biggest thing about the whole BMX community, is that it’s for everybody. It really is a sport that anybody can participate in.” Latane Coghill, 41, was born and raised near Midlothian and has been riding BMX since the
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REAL ESTATE GUIDE 2026
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REFERRED REAL ESTATE AGENTS 2026
In March, we distributed our Referred Real Estate Agent to select subscribers and more than 5,000 Realtors from a list provided by the Richmond Association of Realtors. We invited both groups to share the names of three real estate agents they would recommend to a friend or family member for their market knowledge, negotiation skills, professionalism, customer service and integrity. The agents and agencies listed here earned the most votes.
Referred Real Estate Agents Bentley Affendikis
Katie Boykin
Mair Downing
Wayne Gauthier
Joyner Fine Properties 804-938-3539 theaffendikisgroup.com
Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville Real Estate 804-564-3774 srmfre.com
Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville Real Estate 804-245-4462 srmfre.com
Fathom Realty Virginia Eric Alley Realty 804-370-4493 facebook.com/ ericalleyrealty
Cabell Childress
Melissa Duke
Joyner Fine Properties Wayne Gauthier and Austin Gauthier 804-270-9440 richmondhomes today.com
Long & Foster Midtown Cabell Childress Group 804-399-4007 cabellchildress.com
Hardesty Homes 804-896-6281 hardestyhomesllc.com
Catena Armstrong
Mark Cipolletti
Rashkind Saunders & Co. Real Estate 804-839-3822 rashkindsaunders.com
Keller Williams Richmond West 804-349-6463 kwrichmondwest.com
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty 804-740-4400 penfedrealty.com
Amy Beem
Eliza Conrad
Wes Fertig
Samson Properties Richmond Libbie Mill 804-516-1007 amybeem.samson properties.net
Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville Real Estate 804-240-0255 srmfre.com
Joyner Fine Properties 804-339-7722 joynerfineproperties.com
Cindy Bennett
Jenn Cox Jenn Cox Realty 804-715-7937 jenncoxrealty.com
Compass Jenny Maraghy Team 804-869-4861 compass.com
Eric Alley
Maison Real Estate Boutique 804-690-8273 maisonvirginia.com
Ashlee Bonds Samson Properties Richmond Libbie Mill 804-295-7351 ashleebondshomes.com
Todd Boyd Boyd Realty Group 804-310-6558 boydrealtygroup.com
Blake Eudailey
Linda Forem
Sean Craft
Ali Elk Friske
Long & Foster Strawberry Street 804-338-3800 seancraft.com
Maison Real Estate Boutique 310-403-6889 maisonvirginia.com
Kevin Currie
Austin Gauthier
Hometown Realty Kevin Currie Group 804-928-1620 kevincurriegroup.com
Joyner Fine Properties Wayne Gauthier and Austin Gauthier 804-270-9440 richmondhomes today.com
Page George Maison Real Estate Boutique 804-402-4565 maisonvirginia.com
Debbie Gibbs
elizabethhagen realestate.com
Michael Halloran NextHome Advantage 804-304-8716 michaelhalloran.nexthome advantageagents.com
Annemarie Hensley Compass Team Hensley 804-221-4365 teamhensley.com
Sotheby’s International Realty The Steele Group 804-402-2024 thesteelegroupsir.com
Iris Hernandez
Christina Goodpaster
Michael Hippchen
United Real Estate Richmond 804-921-4123 unitedrealestaterva.com
Providence Hill Real Estate 518-588-2276 phrehomes.com
Hippchen Homes 804-683-1552 hippchenhomes.com
Meg Grymes
ICON Realty Group 804-218-0370 shondahowie.com
Sotheby’s International Realty The Steele Group 804-282-3136 thesteelegroupsir.com
Will Guza Joyner Fine Properties 804-402-7799 willguza.com
Elizabeth Hagen Joyner Fine Properties 804-241-6156
Shonda Howie
Erin Hungerford Long & Foster Innsbrook 804-243-4663 viewrichmondhomes.com
Alex Innes Swell Real Estate Co. 804Mortgage Home Sales Team 804-461-3343 804mortgage.com
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REAL ESTATE GUIDE 2026 Referred Real Estate Agents
Molly Jarvis
Nicole Lee
Jonathan Orcutt
Jennie Barrett Shaw
Lynn Thomas
Samson Properties One South Realty Group 804-357-7230 onesouthrealty.com
Samson Properties Richmond Libbie Mill 804-833-9962 nicolelee.samson properties.net
Maison Real Estate Boutique 804-241-9194 maisonvirginia.com/ agents/jonathan-orcutt
Sotheby’s International Realty The Steele Group 804-399-9190 thesteelegroupsir.com
Long & Foster Westham 804-350-6666 longandfoster.com/ lynnthomas
Tonya Leeper
Rebecca Orcutt
Sarah Kate Shepherd
Keller Williams Richmond West 804-662-0470 tlrealtyrva.kw.com
Maison Real Estate Boutique 804-374-8961 maisonrealestate boutique.com
Providence Hill Real Estate Traynham Shepherd Homes Team 804-288-8888 phrehomes.com
Timberlake Realty RVA 804-491-6556 timberlakerealtyrva.com
Sarah Jarvis Samson Properties One South Realty Group 804-356-4700 onesouthrealty.com
Michelle Jenkins Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville Real Estate 804-512-4303 srmfre.com
Gwen Kato Swell Real Estate Co. 804Mortgage Home Sales Team 804-461-3343 804mortgage.com
Kraig Keller Long & Foster Westham 804-640-0163 longandfoster.com/ KraigKeller
Courtney Kimball Rashkind Saunders & Co. Real Estate 804-241-5030 rashkindsaunders.com
Jenny King Rashkind Saunders & Co. Real Estate 804-310-1530 rashkindsaunders.com
Dakia Knight ICON Realty Group The Keys in Richmond 804-763-9063 iconrealtyrva.com
Beth Lane Metropolitan Real Estate Beth Sells 4 You 804-539-3983 bethsells4u.com
Carlos L. Lauranzon Carlos & Company Realty 804-356-2417 carlosandcompany realty.com
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LaDonna Lewis ICON Realty Group The Keys in Richmond 804-852-0710 thekeysinrichmond.com
Steve Parks
Shane Lott
Graham Rashkind
Rashkind Saunders & Co. Real Estate Lott Realty Group 804-382-8352 lottrealtygroup.com
Rashkind Saunders & Co. Real Estate 804-308-5211 rashkindsaunders.com
Daphne MacDougall
Long & Foster The Yeatman Group 804-402-4974 theyeatmangroup.com/ lauren
Sotheby’s International Realty The Steele Group 804-399-5842 thesteelegroupsir.com
Marguerite Mankins Sotheby’s International Realty The Steele Group 804-382-7460 thesteelegroupsir.com
Caroline Meeker Compass 804-317-7549 compass.com
Teresa Melton Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty 804-334-7560 penfedrealty.com
Maya Messer Long & Foster Innsbrook 804-572-8033 longandfoster.com/ mayamesser
Dana Morgan Compass 804-201-6808 compass.com
Liz Moore and Associates 804-690-7619 lizmoore.com
Lauren Renschler
Sallie Rhett Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville Real Estate 804-538-4187 srmfre.com
Ashley Rolfe Maison Real Estate Boutique 804-248-0504 maisonvirginia.com
Sheri Rosner Long & Foster Westham 804-229-5508 longandfoster.com
Lee Ann Ruby Napier Realtors ERA 804-651-9281 larubyhomes.com
William Schroeder Swell Real Estate Co. 804Mortgage Home Sales Team 804-461-3343 804mortgage.com
Chris Small Park27 (formerly Small Real Estate) The Chris Small Group 804-350-0879 chrissmallgroup.com
Alexandria Smith Long & Foster Innsbrook 804-405-3816 longandfoster.com/ alexandriasmith
Steve Smith Long & Foster Strawberry Street 859-351-7498 longandfoster.com/ stevesmith
Karen Stephens Long & Foster Grove 804-514-4769 longandfoster.com/ karenstephens
Clair Blackwell Stewart Charles A. Rose Co. Inc. 804-288-4820 charlesarose.com
Donna Stewart Samson Properties Richmond Libbie Mill 804-357-2082 donnasellsrva.com
Katie Stiles Joyner Fine Properties Daylor-Stiles Team 804-317-7528 daylorstilesteam.com
Emily Still Long & Foster The Yeatman Group 804-639-4663 theyeatmangroup.com/ emily
Alison Timberlake
Joe Timberlake Timberlake Realty RVA 804-491-6556 timberlakerealtyrva.com
Meg Traynham Providence Hill Real Estate Traynham Shepherd Homes Team 804-356-9045 phrehomes.com
Dare Tulloch Long & Foster Village of Midlothian 804-306-6264 longandfoster.com/ daretulloch
Sue Vaught Sotheby’s International Realty The Steele Group 804-350-4274 thesteelegroupsir.com
Alease Washington ICON Realty Group 804-519-7840 iconrealtyrva.com
Stephen Wesson Long & Foster Williamsburg 804-339-8489 longandfoster.com/ stephenwesson
Marianna Wiley Samson Properties One South Realty Group 540-476-2915 onesouthrealty.com
Tina Winn Shaheen, Ruth, Martin & Fonville Real Estate 804-241-1805 srmfre.com
Kiernan Ziletti Sycamore Realty 804-592-8607 sycamorerva.com
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EAT&DRINK
IN DEPTH
RAISING THE BAR A peek into the intensive prep at one of the city’s busiest cocktail destinations By Eileen Mellon
Ailsa McCutcheon prepares lemongrass syrup.
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(From left) Little Nickel Bar Manager Josephine Castro, General Manager Madison Pere and Assistant Bar Manager Ailsa McCutcheon
they do on a Saturday. It ensures precision, prevents overpouring and preserves the cra smanship behind every sip. “It’s a long morning,” Castro says, noting they’re the first ones in the building on prep days, “typically about four hours.” Few bars can sustain this level of production. By the time a guest orders a drink at Li le Nickel, the sum of its parts have already passed through hours, days and sometimes weeks of labor. While cocktail bars tend to prioritize quality over quantity, at this South Side escape it’s both, with the sheer volume of customers that come through the doors upping the ante. Castro is backed by General Manager Madison “Maddie” Pere and Assistant Bar Manager Ailsa McCutcheon. Together, they are responsible for all the infusions, syrups and frozen ingredients listed on the drink menu — and they have their own dedicated walk-in freezer and trailer to prove it. For Pere, its impact on their
workflow can’t be overstated. “I say that I got a raise because they gave me a walkin; it was the best thing that could have happened.” The tenured trio measures, converts, chops and dilutes, toeing the line between the culinary and the scientific. Everything is made or infused in-house, from toasted coconut rye or rosemary mezcal to syrups flavored with saffron, lemongrass, fassionola and sour orange. The prep space hums with blenders, the glug, glug, glug of liquor, the scent of cinnamon cooking down on the stove. Tables are covered in storage containers, bo les of booze, bushy mint and fragrant Thai chiles, while each bartender works from a dedicated station and binder of recipes, o en focusing on specific drinks. “We definitely have our babies,” McCutcheon says with a smile. “Blackberry whiskey and orgeat are mine.” She explains that the blackberry bourbon used in the Doc Holiday sits for about
JUSTIN CHESNEY
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t’s 8 a.m. at the tropical-themed Forest Hill restaurant Little Nickel, and Bar Manager Josephine Castro is already directing the day’s work. Clipboard in hand, she moves down the prep list with a pen: roast poblano peppers for the Papi Verde, batch syrups for the frozen Jet Pilot, whip up orgeat for the Saturn. At night, the room will lean into its identity as a high-energy cocktail bar. In the morning, however, the scene is something much more methodical: a tight-knit team of bar professionals deep in prep. Amid Tiki glasses and island vibes, the crew of three flu ers through the dining room building batches that yield up to 100 cocktails at a time. This approach allows them to serve thousands of drinks each week that taste the same on a Monday as
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