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Picture this, it’s 8 a.m. on a random Tuesday, the workshop is quiet, still half-asleep. Suddenly, “EEEEEEEEEE!” echoes off the rafters like Chewbacca discovering free donuts in the breakroom. Was it a malfunctioning animatronic? No.. Just Ric “Rico” Hostetter announcing himself, or letting us know the caffeine has hit. These days the workshop sounds a little different, because our Scenic Supervisor, the guy who’s been the visual heart for Sally Dark Rides since the late ’80s, has hung up his brush and is headed into full-time retirement.
They say - do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. Ric didn’t just live that cliché; he sculpted it, painted it, and installed it all over the world. Bad days? Not with Rico around. He turned chaos into fun, deadlines into adventures, and fiberglass monsters into friends.
Raised in Florida, Ric began pursuing his artistic talents at Terry Parker High Commercial Arts program. Then, studied graphic design at Florida School of the Arts in Palatka. “My first real gig was illustrating for the Florida Times-Union. Everything from diamond rings to deli specials,” he tells us. Even tried his hand at art dealing (spoiler- not his vibe). After seeing an ad in the paper for Sally, he picked out his suit and stacked his portfolio. “I was hired on the spot.”
Day one started at the sewing machine. “Not my forte. I was let go after a week,” he laughs. “But I got a callback shortly after for a Universal project and it just kept going from there.” Sculpting and painting felt like an extension of his illustration roots. “Suddenly I’m building E.T. Adventure in Orlando and L.A., then Zombie Paradise in Tokyo.”
After that two-month Tokyo install, Ric took some time off and surfed Bali for a month. “Greatest adventure of my life,” he says. Tying in his passion for travel and surf into these work installs, really solidified Sally as the dream job. From there, work was non-stop: Australia, Thailand, Waikiki, California…and if it had a coast, he surfed it.
Day-to-day, Ric would team up with VP of Operations, Todd Gillrup to juggle projects, always with a grin, a vision, and integrity. He’s painted murals the size of buildings, sculpted characters, illustrated scenes, art-finished, installed, supervised…all with kindness and gratitude baked in.
"Ric was a once-in-a-lifetime employee who knew how to deliver our projects with speed, quality, and accountability" says Todd. "We had a great relationship and were always aligned with team goals. He would occasionally ask for a random morning off to surf, and I never minded because he always made up the time when he returned energized. I truly wish I could have cloned his talent and positive attitude."
What he loved most? The travel, sure, but really, the people. “We always find a way to communicate, get the job done. This place is just a big family.” After tough times and big wins together, that kind of support means everything to a small business.
Outside the shop, Ric’s all about the outdoors: fishing, camping, boating, and, obviously, chasing the next perfect wave with family and friends. Now he’s got endless time for it. Thanks for 30+ years of magic, laughs, and making every dark ride shine bright. Catch you in the lineup, Rico.
