Skater At 50—Proposal On Deck

Still in St. Clair, Mich., and organized by Ron Szolack, the below-radar 2020 version of Skaterfest stands out for one unlikely reason beyond its pandemic-year timing. That was where New York native Chris Ryder, a well-known Skater man who at the time owned a 2005 model-year 368 catamaran called Crisis Management, proposed to his then-girlfriend Sam Hanna.

Chris Ryder was more than happy to bend the knee for Sam Hanna, his future bride. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Plenty of memories—not all of them printable—had been made during the Szolack-produced Skater brand-celebrations during the years. But proposal was a first for the event, at least on his watch.

“There’s never a dull moment with the Skaterfest group,” Szolack said at the time.

Added Hanna, “I was like no way, no way, no way. I’m still in shock.”

Now she’s Sam Ryder and the couple has a one-year-old, Christopher, Jr.

Sam Hanna and Chris Ryder made Skaterfest history.

Southwest Florida-based readers Amanda and Don Gardner, longtime friends of Ryder, tipped off speedonthewater.com to the pending wedding proposal on the Detroit River. Pete Boden was on hand to capture images and within a few hours of Hanna saying yes to Ryder, a story went live on the website.

“Chris is our best friend and we’ve seen him at the highest and lowest times of his life,” Amanda Gardner said. “He’s our brother, and our brother has met his perfect co-pilot.”

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Source: https://www.speedonthewater.com/skater-at-50-proposal-on-deck/