teamfast, inc. history
keeping up with the karpik's
Inspiration. Imagination. Innovation.
Founded by the Karpik brothers – Gerard, Randy and David – TeamFAST, Inc., was created from one single idea – to creatively engineer snowmobile suspension products that would deliver a superior performance, ride and handling that the industry did not offer.
Living in the small town of northern Minnesota – not too far from the Canadian border – in the world of pond hockey, a richness of snow and having a thrill for speed – it was here that the brothers hammered and clawed their way into the world of snowmobile racing. They didn’t know it yet, but they would transform the world of snowmobiling.
mid-70s
Gerard, ‘The King’ Karpik and Randy (L-R) earned that title by dominating cross-country racing while brother David's design work went to dominate the ice ovals. In 1978, Gerard earned the first of what would turn out to be four consecutive major cross-country titles that season and they kept going from there. Unprecedented! They were unstoppable.
january of 1979
Ski-Doo’s ad read: “Same old sweet song! Every time Gerard Karpik mounts his Ski-Doo, the record books are re-written.” January 13th, 1979, Karpik had 8 wins in 9 races. The 1979 ICCSF High Point Championship was his before the season even ended.
1985
FAST, Inc. (Fast Action Support Team) was formed as a suspension and power-systems development support company.
1991
1990
Company moves into its headquarters building in Eveleth, MN. During this time, the team developed the revolutionary and patented long travel “coupling and mass centralization technologies” that continue to improve the function of nearly every snowmobile built to this day.
Bombardier/Ski-Doo contracted with FAST, Inc., to design and develop two new concept race chassis with long travel suspensions for European racing. The result won both the European and Swedish Sno-X Championships along with yielding the company its first significant in-house production contract to build 50 replica stock class racers.
january 13, 1994
1991
Date of Induction to Snowmobile Hall of Fame | Gerard Karpik, Racing Career: 1970-1984, Cross-Country, Oval and Ski-Cross
>> Read full description here.
M-10 was launched! Gone were the 6" travel days and delightfully snowmobiling has never been the same since!
2010
1997-2004
Assault Shocks, Dive-tek & Tri-Tek Shock Systems offered. TeamFAST, Inc. began offering Assault shocks which featured a spring design that uses a large air chamber inside a flexible rubber membrane providing more air volume and a progressive damping that’s not overly aggressive. Other systems now offered for the REV chassis provides riders with a thrilling ride at max comfort. These products allow riders to quicken their pace when trails roughen and rid them of the majority of aches and pains they’d receive from their stock shock and spring packages.
TeamFAST’s revolutionary snowmobile - the Blade was introduced featuring highly innovative performance characteristics and a 25% weight reduction. Several hundred Blades were produced. The economy, lack of snow and other factors worked against the momentum. Efforts were refocused on the M-10, future M-20 and bringing other suspension products to market.
1986-2017 and beyond
2012
We take great pride in our heritage and the company we have developed. TeamFAST, Inc., now in its 32nd year with nearly 30,000 rear suspensions traversing the trails, the company continues to influence the industry and thrill our riders.
M-20 Airwave is introduced.
The ultimate rear suspension is developed. The Assault big shaft shock is designed to asymmetrically dampen while its huge volume Air Spring is being displaced over 8 inches. This large spring displacement provides for low air pressure and softness during small bump-low energy events while delivering the firmness required in stopping bottoming of high energy big bump events.