Craig Coldren

A native of Hutchinson, Craig first fell in love with the Sky Ryders® at the age of ten. Riding his bike over to watch Ryders practice wishing he was one of the kids on the field. That chance came in 1974 and he continued to live that dream through the 1980 season. Craig was a drummer and worked his way through the section. Cymbals, bass drum, marching timpani, and after 3 years marching a tenor, spent his age out year as a member of the snareline.

An injury kept Craig from marching 1980 DCI Prelims but, in a weird twist of fate, caused him to be the only person in the history of DCI to be in charge of live animals on the field. At the end of the Sky Ryders show during the climax of “Over the Rainbow,” doves were released from behind the “rainbow.” DCI banned live animals soon after.

In 1981, after a summer as a volunteer staff member, Craig moved to Austin, Texas, where he currently resides. After 35 years on the job, Craig retired in 2017 from FedEx and enjoys playing his drums, restoring old marching snares, visiting his two children, and not having to watch a clock.