specifications geometry - Kona

• The first 5 winners of the Kona-IMBA Freeride grants are
announced to clubs from Colorado, Florida, Oregon, Illinois, and
British Columbia. The 7th annual Kona-IMBA Funraiser raises
another $8,000 for the 2005 grants.
• Kona Bike Park Leogang, Austria holds their first Out of
Bounds/Kona Festival where John Cowan pulls off the
world’s first backflip on his own Cowan signature DJ frame.
Fabien Barel and Tracy Moseley win the Top to Bottom
Eliminator DH.
2005
• The Kona Global 24 Hour series is launched, with Kona
sponsored days of pain in the UK, Australia and Colorado. It
continues to expand to Finland and Switzerland, and moves
to the Arizona desert in 2007.
• Fabien Barel struggles through the race season, finishing in
the top three in most World Cup qualifiers, but crashes out
and suffers mechanicals for most of the season. He becomes
the first Frenchman since Nicolas Vouilloz to win back to
back World Championships with a perfect ride at the World
Championships in Livigno, Italy. The Stab Supreme is the #1
bike on the World Cup circuit once again.
• Dan Gerhard & Dr. Dew are inducted into the MTB Hall of
Fame.
2006
• “Yesterday my old pal Leonardo and me we had some beer
together. Then he started telling me a strange story. A few
years ago when he was out on the trails, he said he met a
beautiful Italian girl in black clothes riding a Kona. When she
passed him, she gave him a mysterious smile. He fell in love
immediately.” Three women’s specific models are introduced:
the Lisa HT, DS and RD.
• The Velo Bella Kona women’s team rides the new bikes,
including Wendy Simms from Parksville, BC who goes on to
win 3 Canadian CX championships for Kona.
• Ryan Trebon wins the US National MTB XC race, with Barry
in 2nd place. Barry wins the Short Track Nationals, Ryan
takes 3rd.
• Czech rider Kamil Tartakovic joins the Factory Team, riding
the 4X specific Howler, winning the Schladming World Cup
and taking 3rd overall in the WC series.
THE KONA TIMELINE
• The Kona AfricaBike and Bicycling’s Biketown Africa heads
to Gabarone and Bobonong, Botswana in November. The
Africabike is specifically designed for the needs of the mostly
female healthcare workers where HIV and AIDS patients are
currently serviced by walking. Built around a sturdy steel
step-through frame, featuring heavy-duty tires and tubes
from Continental and singlespeed coaster brake hubs from
Shimano, this pilot project is likely to become the most
important bike we’ve ever made. 3,500 AfricaBikes have
been sent since the beginning of the program.
• Three new riders are added to the Clump by the end of the
year: Grant “Chopper” Fielder from the UK, and the biggest
new names from Spain, Andreu and Lluis Lacondeguy—who
were already on Kona.
2007
• The Kona Groove Approved Bike Park program adds Verbier
(Switzerland), Livigno (Italy), Levi (Finland) and Killington
(Vermont). There are now 20 parks on 4 continents featuring
custom-built Kona Garbanzo park bikes in their rental fleets.
• A total of 79 models for 2007 are introduced, including a
complete Cowan signature dirt jumper, high-end women’s
specific Queen Kikapu MTB and Lisa RD Supreme road
machines, as well as Kula 2-9 and Unit 2-9 MTB 29ers.
• On the Asphalt side, the Dews are joined by the full suspension
Dew FS, the Paddy Wagon—a singlespeed drop bar track bike,
and the Major Jake, a CX race machine.
• Brian Berthold of Brake Therapy and Kona conspire to bring
D.O.P.E. to Kona fans everywhere with an anti-brake jack
system for the Stinkys and Coilers.
• Fabien Barel caps an up and down year with a surprising
silver medal at the DH Worlds in Fort William. Despite
breaking his foot twice during the year, Fabien also wins the
Canadian Open during Crankworx, films a strong segment for
New World Disorder Nine, and celebrates 5 years with Kona
with a signature edition Stab Supreme.
• Ryan Trebon wins the US Short Track MTB Nats and nabs
silver at the MTB Marathon, as well as the overall USGP
series of CX.
• The annual All Star Revue is introduced, with features on
Kona Factory and Clump riders, Groove Approved bike parks
and World Cup racing.
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