Ryans 'Ryde the Ryan Coaster' at Mall of America
If your name is Ryan, and you can prove it with a driver’s license or birth certificate, you are automatically qualified to join one of the nation’s oddest clubs.
Ryan Meetup chapters have been established in a dozen cities in North America that include Chicago, Toronto, New York, Denver and Seattle. Recent events have included “Ryans Takeover Chukchansi Park” in Fresno for a ballgame, catching DJ Kaskade (nee Ryan Raddon) at Coachella and sharing pizza on “Pi-Day, Ry-Day" in Los Angeles,
Ryan Meetup lists a number of sponsors that include Oh Ryan’s Irish Potatoes, Ryan Bros Coffee and Ryan Maguire’s Bar & Restaurant.
On Sunday July 26, Mall of America, always on-trend, invited Ryans to take a ride on the temporarily renamed “Ryan Coaster” in its Nickelodeon Universe theme park.
More than a thousand Ryans took MOA up on the offer.
The evening kicked off in the renamed-for-the day “Rytunda,” where attendees connected with fellow Ryans before the festivities began. The celebration continued with a few Ry-Rys receiving the ultimate Nickelodeon honor of getting Slimed.
Before heading to the coaster, organizers recognized the Farthest Traveling Ryan with a special trophy, honoring a Marine who flew in from from Hawaii to take part in the historic event.
Every Ryan rode free while friends, family members, and other non-Ryans cheered them on.
Hosted by Ryan Meetup, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to connecting people named Ryan through nationwide events, the club states as its larger mission to “unite Ryans everywhere.”
While the attempt wasn't officially sanctioned by Guinness World Records, no one has ever brought this many Ryans together to consecutively ride a roller coaster. That means 1,000 Ryans can proudly celebrate their self-proclaimed world record.
Official or not, it's a title that's sure to go down in Ryan history.
