Carlsbad, Calif., January 4, 2007.  In a move that will surprise some and encourage others, Randal Fuller has reportedly sold Randal Design, his company formed around the creation and marketing of his ground-breaking trucks which have set the standard for speed board and luge since their introduction.  Randal’s inventory, production and designs have all been purchased by Sector 9. 

This move takes some by surprise, after Randal appeared at ASR in September and local racing events in October, indicating to racers, industry and our reporters that he’d been working on some new truck designs, but it may not indicate he’s given up on those projects.  Some industry insiders are encouraged by the move, noting that Randal has given a lot to the sport and that the time may have been exactly right for him and Sector 9.  This adds the most well-recognized longboard and racing truck line to Sector’s catalog, a move predicted by many as the big company has signaled a desire to re-enter the racing and competition scene with new wheels, boards and an invigorated racing program in 2006. 

Industry insiders had varied reactions to the news.  “I think it’s a strong move by Sector 9, and a timely one,” commented one.  Others expressed concerns regarding availability in the future, but not all were dismayed:  “I fully expect we’ll be able to sell more trucks to Sector’s competition, if they commit a high percentage of production to their own line,” said one of Randal’s (former) competitors.  At Silverfish, we expect that Sector will continue the contracts with the foundry producing Randal’s trucks and to distribute through Dregs, as they do the Gull Wing line, purchased last year.  We think this may open some doors for the “Randal Killer” competitors, and drive up the standard for OEM trucks across the market, since we also expect to see greater use of the products by the new owners.

Some were excited, "I hope he made a mint, and I know he deserves it after all he's done for our sport!", replied one old-school gravity racer when we contacted him.  Another industry insider indicated some irony, " I was hoping to go toe-to-toe with Randal with our new design..."   Whether opportunities for direct competition are lost or enhanced, this development should mean even more OEM boards will feature Randals, increasing the population of longboarders with setups that just plain work.  There's even a potentially brighter side, as one skater observed, "the new owners have the money to pay for a new baseplate mold and to fix all the problems with the truck!"   Think about that!