-Simms Grabs Canadian National Champ Title, While 5 Other Kona Riders Race Around North America-

KONAWORLD (October 14, 2008) – With Kona-FSA Factory CX Team members showing their dominance this past weekend at numerous races in the U.S. and Canada, the performance of racer Wendy Simms highlighted Kona’s multiple podium appearances.

Racing in Edmonton, Alberta at the Canadian National Cyclo-cross Championships, Simms won the title of Canadian national  Champion after blazing though the course in the women’s elite race. Battling touch competition and fierce winds that forced racers to think twice about making solo attacks into a headwind, Simms was able to hold off a stout attack from Alberta’s Pepper Harlton to claim her fourth Canadian National ‘Cross title in five years. Establishing a 25-second gap from the beginning, Simms charged the course to the finish. Kona’s Kris Sneddon took seventh in the men’s elite race.

“Some of the top competitors from previous years were missing,” says Simms. “There are some strong younger riders coming up, so it certainly kept the pressure on me through the race to keep a gap. If they had worked together, there is a good chance that they could have brought me back. This is just the start of my cyclo-cross season, and it’s a good way to begin. It means that I will be able to race in Europe through the season as the Canadian champion.”

For a video interview of Simms after the race click here.

Coming off a win at the Cross-Vegas event three weeks ago, Kona rider Ryan Trebon reached the podium twice last weekend in ‘cross races at the Gran Prix of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Trebon won both races on Saturday and Sunday over defending National Champion Tim Johnson. It was the sixth time Trebon has won in Gloucester, putting him in a tie for the most lifetime wins there with Lyne Bessette, Johnson’s wife, who retired after last season. For Trebon, switching from 175 to 177.5mm FSA cranks was a good move.

“It lets me get all the advantage out of my size,” says Trebon.

Under-23 defending National Champion Amy Dombroski of the Velo-Bella Kona also won both races in Gloucester.

Racing at the Harbin Park Cyclo-cross event in Cincinnati, Ohio, Barry Wicks and Erik Tonkin finished in the top 10 in the men’s elite races. Wicks brought home two third places finishes and a seventh place finish, while Tonkin grabbed a seventh on the final day of racing.

For more information on their races, check here.

Going To The End Of The Earth To Find What It Takes To Build The Best Technology -

KONAWORLD (October 14, 2008) - After featuring the highly functional and show-stopping stylish Kona Ute long-tail bike in Episode #1 - the Doctor is back. Fueled by the desire to innovate responsibly, Dr. Dew (AKA Doug LaFavor, tech wiz) goes to the ends of the earth in this installment of Kona’s The Dr. Dew Files. Watch Kona’s enigmatic, lederhosen lovin’ head designer climb mountains and dodge avalanches as he seeks out the sage of innovative suspension technologies, Brake Therapy Components chief engineer, Brian Berthold.

Secrets are revealed, Kona hardman Dik Cox climbs like a goat, all while Berthold explains the “Do It Right” philosophy behind Kona’s new Magic Link technology incorporated into the Coilair Series of enduro/freeride bikes.

Laugh and learn with The Dr. Dew Files, a series of video shorts produced by the team at Kona in conjunction with Freeride Entertainment.

Just head over to: http://www.konaworld.com/09_dewfiles_ep2.htm, sit back, and watch the Doctor work his magic.

For more information about The Dr. Dew Files and Kona’s new 2009 line-up of rigs, check out www.konaworld.com.

- Four Kona Factory Team Riders Take To The Vegas Night At Annual Cyclecross Race -

KONAWORLD (October 1, 2008) – Taking his second win at the annual CrossVegas race in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sept. 24, Kona Factory Team rider Ryan Trebon flew through the Vegas night en route to a 10-second victory over last year’s U.S. National Cyclecross Champion Tim Johnson. Trebon, who won the U.S. Cyclecross title in 2006, came out of the gates hot under the flood lights at the Desert Breeze soccer fields. In the final laps, Trebon was able to reel in Geoff Kabush and set the pace to the finish in front of the 68 other riders – including seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.

“The only ones who really wanted to ride hard were Tim Johnson and Jonathan Page, and I wasn’t going to be the only person to chase,” Trebon said. “It came to a point where I said, ‘If no one else wants to work, Geoff is my friend. I’d be happy to see him win.’”

Also racing in the CrossVegas race for Kona were Barry Wicks who took 17th, Erik Tonkin who nabbed 26th - and in the women’s race Wendy Simms finished in seventh in the 31-racer field.

In the week leading up to the CrossVegas event, members of the Kona Factory Team competed in two separate cyclecross races; putting up great results. At the FSA Star Crossed cyclecross race at the Marrymore Velodrome in Seattle, Trebon, Wicks and Tonkin battled the wet course conditions to the finish. Trebon took second place and Wicks grabbed fifth. Tonkin, who embraced the wet conditions, was in line for a top-10 finish until a late race crash knocked him out of contention. At the Rad Racing GP in Steilacoom Park, Trebon finished second and Wicks took sixth.

Simms took second place at the FSA Star Crossed event and first place at the Rad Racing GP.

- Is It At A Dealer Near You? Read On –

KONAWORLD (September 19, 2008) – For the two decade old Kona Bicycle Company, producing its millionth bike is just a number. Be it a milestone, Kona has always been more interested and focused on the rider and their needs. That’s what makes Kona tick. So, to celebrate its millionth bike, Kona will running a mysterious, Willy Wonka-style event. Like the elusive Golden Ticket that young Charlie Bucket surprisingly stumbled upon in the 1971 film, a Golden Ticket – in the form of Kona’s millionth bike, a Cinder Cone – will soon be at a Kona dealer somewhere in the world. At the moment, the “special bike” has be produced, boxed and is awaiting transport to an undisclosed location.

Why a Cinder Cone? In 1988 it was the first bike to roll off Kona’s assembly line. A durable, reliable and well-balanced hard tail, the Cinder Cone was soon joined by its volcanic themed friends the Explosif, Lava Dome and Fire Mountain the same year. Since ’88, about 77,115 Cinder Cones have been produced, making it Kona’s number one produced bike. Hence the reason it’s the millionth.

So how’s it work? Good question. The Cinder Cone randomly arrives at its given country, is transported to a lucky Kona dealership and sits unassumingly on the floor until that ONE lucky rider chooses it as their ride. Once the millionth bike is chosen, confetti falls from the rafters, the lucky new bike owner (who receives instant fame) is hosed down by Uzzi-style water guns, midgets do cartwheels while clowns make poodles out of balloons, corks fly off champagne bottles and Kona co-founders Dan and Jake ride unicycles around the bike shop dressed in top hats and bow-ties and the 80s clothing they wore when they started their company. Sorry, no Oompa-Loompas!

How can you stay tuned? To track the whereabouts of the high-profile Cinder Cone and follow the steps to how the bike was built and created head over to www.konaworld.com/09_million. The site will go live on Wed. Sept. 24.

For more information also check www.konaworld.com.

About the Kona Bicycle Company:
The Kona Bicycle Company designs, manufacturers and distributes more than 60 models of purpose-built, high-performance mountain, road and urban bicycles. Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Ferndale, Washington, USA, Kona bicycles are distributed worldwide in more than 60 countries through independent specialty bicycle dealers. Kona funds several professional road, mountain and cyclo-cross racing teams that include World Cup Champions, World Champions and National Champions. For more information check www.konaworld.com or contact Keith Cozzens at Base Camp Communications, kcozzens@basecampcomm.com or 307.734.7575.

- Downhill Rider Takes Fourth at Final World Cup Event En Route To Overall Podium Finish -

KONAWORLD (September 15, 2008) – Course conditions couldn’t have been more treacherous in Schaldming, Austria for the women’s final downhill World Cup event. Heavy rain turned the burly singletrack into pools of soupy mud creating a cut-up course rife with knee-deep ruts and slick roots. Battling the conditions, Kona Factory Team member Tracy Moseley rode the final event of the series holding nothing back.

After a semi-finals run that landed her in third place, Moseley’s finals run was hampered a bit by the sloppy course conditions and she finished just over 16 seconds off winner Rachel Atherton. By finishing the race in fourth place, Moseley secured her third place status in the overall World Cup standing with 1272 points. Atherton won the overall title with 1533 points and Sabrina Jonnier took second with 1335 points.

“In the final I started off well but as I progressed down the track I just seem to make little mistakes everywhere,” says Moseley. “I definitely did not ride as well as I know I could have down that track, but racing a track like that and to not make any mistakes is pretty much impossible. After a poor start to the year I am pleased to have worked my way back up to the top three by the end of the year.”

- Bikes Help Support Workers Of River Project And Foster Healthier Communities -

KONAWORLD (September 2, 2008) - Since 2005, Kona has been providing AfricaBikes to thousands of healthcare workers in Africa. In September, Kona will be donating 100 AfricaBikes to one of the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) water projects in Tanzania, Africa.

The Great Ruaha River is one of the most important sources of freshwater in Tanzania. Since 1993, research records show that sections of this massive river in the Rufiji River Basin have run completely dry for atypical periods of time. This wasn’t due to global warming or climatic variation, but rather uncontrolled and poor water management.

Since 2003, the WWF has implemented a sustainable water management program to help better the lives of more than 6.35 million people living in the region. By establishing the Water Users Associations - groups whose members are trained in water irrigation, law, policy and conservation - the program saw great success in 2006 when the Great Ruaha flowed throughout the year for the first time in five years.

But, the river is big and to monitor its status members of the Water Users Associations need bikes to cover the long distances. By having access to 100 Kona AfricaBikes, workers will be able to cover more ground; ultimately resulting in a healthier river and healthier communities.

Workers who receive AfricaBikes will play an important role of not only helping support a better way of life for numerous communities in the Great Ruaha River area, but also remedy an important water source that will impact future generations. Without the AfricaBikes, chances are the successes of bringing the river back might begin to fade.

For more information about the Kona Bicycle Co. and the World Wildlife Fund check www.konaworld.com and www.worldwildlife.org. For more on Kona€™s Biketown Africa program check www.konabiketown.com.

About the Kona Bicycle Company:
The Kona Bicycle Company designs, manufacturers and distributes more than 60 models of purpose-built, high-performance mountain, road and urban bicycles. Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Ferndale, Washington, USA, Kona bicycles are distributed worldwide in more than 60 countries through independent specialty bicycle dealers. Kona funds several professional road, mountain and cyclo-cross racing teams that include World Cup Champions, World Champions and National Champions. For more information check www.konaworld.com or contact Keith Cozzens at Base Camp Communications, kcozzens@basecampcomm.com or 307.734.7575.
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- Factory Team Racers Show Dominance On World Cup And NMBS Circuits -

KONAWORLD (September 2, 2008) “ Racing in the elite women’s downhill event in Canberra, Australia at the second-to-last stage of the World Cup racing circuit, Kona Factory Team rider Tracy Moseley helped her cause of making a run for the overall title by winning the race by four seconds.

Charging a technical course that had been peppered by intermittent rain and wind the entire weekend, Moseley finished her semi-final run in first place “ which set her up to race last during the finals. In the finals, Moseley swapped out her normal DH racing kit for a skinsuit which, although sparked some criticism, ultimately helped her win the race.

“Wearing a skinsuit makes a difference, but is a bit controversial,” Moseley explained. “Most of the riders don’t like wearing them, but I know that it is an advantage and I am prepared to take the slack to win a World Cup race. The others don’t wear them because it isn’t cool. Mountain biking is very image driven. I make that choice and I get shit for it for the rest of the year but…”

Moseley pedaled hard through the final flat section of the course to take the win in the 19-racer event, while Rachael Atherton finished second and Sabrina Jonnier third. The final World Cup downhill event takes place in two weeks in Schladming, Austria.

Although he finished 15th in Brian Head, Utah at the final Short Track cross-country race of the National Mountain Bike Series circuit, Kona rider Barry Wicks sealed the overall season title with a total of 739 points. Teammate Ryan Trebon, who finished seventh in the Short Track race, took second overall “ falling short of Wicks by one point with 738. Wendy Simms took 17th overall in the elite women’s Short Track series standing.

“I only went as hard as I had to. We were racing at 10,000 feet and nobody did well except J.B. (Jeremiah Bishop) and the guys from Colorado,” said Wicks after the race, who was also the 2006 overall Short Track series winner.

In the cross-country race in Brian Head, Trebon took ninth, Wicks 13th, Erik Tonkin 18th and Kris Sneddon 19th.