Photo Gallery: Faces Of Skaterfest
In small sub-cultures of rabid enthusiasts—and the high-performance powerboating community definitely qualifies—the participants become celebrities of sorts. Shorter version?
Quinn and Chris LaMorte, as well as Skater Powerboats catamaran owners from around the country, are in Michigan this weekend for Skaterfest. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.
If you’re into go-fast boating, you’ve probably heard of and might even know most of the people at Skaterfest in the Detroit Metro area this weekend. Chances are good, for example, that you’ve heard of Skater Powerboats founder Peter Hledin and Skaterfest organizer Ron Szolack, who has bought and sold more Skater catamarans than most people will ever see.
No question, the crowd here is like a “who’s who” of the go-fast boating world. Michiganders Mark DiMichele and his wife, Joanie, who live about 45 minutes from the St. Clair venue, are here with the Skater 388 catamaran they purchased from Danny DeSantis of Massachusetts, who couldn’t make it this year. Tyler and Lindsey Miller of M CON offshore racing team fame are in town with their immaculate new Mercury Racing 450R outboard engine-powered Skater 368.
All way from Northern California, Dale Rayzor arrived yesterday to run his vintage 46-foot Skater dubbed Freedom and originally owned in its pleasure version by Jim Lee (of course he’s here, too, running a Skater 426 with owner Don Doty, who’s also in the mix) with Chris Mills of Boat Customs in Caledonia, Mich., where Rayzor keeps the boat year-round.
Enjoy more of the faces of Skaterfest 2021 in the slideshow above.
Chris and Quinn LaMorte are here from New Jersey to run their 36-foot Skater. In from the Empire State, Chris Ryder and his fiancé, Sam Hanna, will run a 36-footer of their own with their friends Don and Amanda Gardner from Southwest Florida.
Todd Fountain with the famed Tom Cat 46-footer? Check. David Schaller with his stunning Skater 388, Mavrik II? Check. Sterling Performance Engines owner Mike D’Anniballe and his wife, Connie Cushing, in their 30-footer? Check. The list goes on and on.
As you can see from the slideshow above.
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