Posted on Facebook by Lane #1:

"Hello Sawheads and all past Lane #1 customers. I've come here to announce, to many of you's dismay (and some elated), that on our 25th Anniversary month, Lane #1 will officially be shutting down for a while, until new blood steps up to continue the brand, as it's time to pass the torch.

It's been a wonderful 25 years, with the pleasure of seeing so many bowlers bowl their first 300 game, first 800 series, highest series, first tournament win, increase their average by over 20 pins, winning the most money, first average over 200, etc., etc... All the success stories over the years is what put and/or kept a smile on my face, making me strive to bring better products to the bowling industry.

I want you all to know that I enjoyed every minute giving you all advice on drilling layouts and/or ball recommendations, but the time has come for me to move on to bigger and better things in life, as the bowling industry has left me out to dry, so to speak.

So with all that said, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Holiday season and let's all pray that someone steps up to the plate to keep Lane #1 going strong into the future.

In the meantime, I'll be working on opening up Club 11, next to Strike n Spare lanes, home of this years Bowlers Journal tournament at the USBC Nationals here in Syracuse, so please stop in and say hello if you're coming into town..? Ciao for now..."

Yeah he had some fans but not sure he ever made enough money to pay for the pours which might have been why the move away from Brunswick (not claiming to know whole story, maybe it was the move to Mexico or whatever).

Although seeing a company call it quits is never a good thing, I think most people would have more empathy had Ritchie been less "polarizing," so to speak.  Whenever you take the attitude that everyone else is doing it wrong or in a substandard way then your own product must be obviously superior, and if not, how do you justify the much higher price? 

My first ever 300 game was with a Hammer Spike pearl, which had a diamond-shaped core, as I recall, so there could have been merit in the idea, but then again, a variety of cores may have worked better.  Who knows?

The spike pearl wasn't a diamond. It looked more like a railroad Spike with a bulge in the middle. http://123bowl.com/bowling-balls/faball/spike-hammer/

2.50 and 0.070? Yes please!! I loved mine.

I had a Cobalt Bomb Pearl that was excellent. Brunswick pour. If I found a 15# NIB today, I’d drill it up.

After that, I tried a few other Lane 1s that were after they left Brunswick - Time Bomb, Red Death, Blue Death, etc. Boy did those all roll like shit. The chainsaw might’ve been the worst - I tried two of them and they were both over/under nightmares.

Ultimately, Richie makes it clear why he failed even in his announcement - “to many’s dismay (and some elated)”. Always him vs everyone else.

Blueberry buzzsaw heard was a great piece as well (cranberry as well).  Wouldn't mind punching one of those up if fell in my lap.  Sucker for old school powerkoil.

My first reactive ball was a Hybrid Dirty Bomb, followed by the OG Dirty Bomb. Both Brunswick pours. Great balls, but then I took an 8 year break from bowling when high school bowling ended and Brunswick wasn't pouring for them anymore.

Wow I was just reading a post where Richie said that Brunswick sabotaged his product (I guess back when they poured his balls) and got caught. That's why he stopped having them pouring for him.

How He was humble at one time, but being humble didn't get him anywhere and all it got him was his ideas getting stolen, they left him out to dry. He didn't get any opportunities to work for any of the companies, or design products for them, they just used him.

Boy that was something!