Monthly Archives: April 2012

Joe Schwartz: Trail Opening Celebrations

With the arrival of spring comes the introduction of new trails, poking up out of the melting snow like so many April flowers. They may have been lovingly crafted over the previous summer, granting a lucky few passage before the winter took hold, or they are a result of a trail builder’s many dark, wet, cold days digging and sculpting while others are riding powder on the higher reaches of the mountains (myself included).

Regardless of when they were built, these fresh nuggets of mountain biking pleasure reveal themselves to us in the spring, bringing exciting new experiences to share with our friends. New climbs to conquer, gaps to clear, or technical DH lines to master, these handcrafted pieces of dirt artistry hold in them the potential for another season’s worth of adventure, fun and challenge. Read More

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Kona Enduro Racer Matt Slaven’s 2-Page Dakine Ad

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Mitch Delfs 12th at Pro GRT Port Angeles

More news to come

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Paul Bass’ Double Backflip on his Kona Bass

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Bike Radar: “Stable and predictable, the Entourage corners as if it were on rails. This results in a package that’s ridiculously fun to ride”

The Operator downhill bike fired Kona straight back into the gravity bike scene when it was launched last year to high acclaim. The man behind that comeback, Chris Mandell, has been working on the Entourage since the Operator was let loose, and we headed to Crans Montana, Switzerland to give it some tough love.

Ride & handling: Unusual ride position pays off on the trails

When you first get on the Kona Entourage, the short top tube and chainstays make it feel like you’re sat over the rear wheel. The overall impression is one of sitting on top of the bike, rather than down into it. That feeling translates onto the trails, where the ride position is further forward than you’d normally expect of something aimed at downhill riding. Read More

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Freeride Magazine (Germany) Rides the Entourage – Operation Well Done!

Click the image to see the report. This time we’ve even included a legible scan. Enjoy!

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“In short, the handling is superb,” – Mag 41 (Germany) Reviews the Entourage

Click on the image to read a great review of the Entourage and Entourage DL by Fabian Scholz of Mag 41. “The idea behind the new geometry is clear: to create a perfect balance between smoothness and agility in corners,” writes Scholz, who attended Kona’s Entourage/Operator launch at the Kona CransMontana Bike Park this past fall. “Extremely playful, agile and willing, the Kona comes to any kind of curve and pushes for pulling, knocking over and jumping. At the same time, however, it creates a balance of good smooth running in rough woods and at fast speeds. In short, the handling is superb. With its joyful absorbing landing gear, the incredibly playful geometry and the good qualities, the Entourage awakens the Kona Downhill nostalgic memories of the New World Disorder times.” Thanks Fabian!

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VVT (France) Rides the Entourage DL: “A great handling bike in the air or on the ground”

Click the image to read the full review.

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Have Sutra Will Travel

From FSTPKR: So tomorrow the BLC to Bering Sea trip officially starts from my front door. Bright and early too! I hope to open up with a big first day. I have a spring/ campsite I want to reach that I was just shy of last fall. I will be live tracking on my map above this post so check it out! No more false alarms this time (sorry to all who where getting the updates while I was trying to work the bugs out). I want to thank all the folks following along on FSTPKR’s facebook page, my sponsors and everyone who put up with my being direct and getting this trip on the road with such short notice. I am honored to have you all along for the ride and to share my homeland Alaska with you all! I feel very fortunate to be returning to my birthplace in this fashion, let alone seeing some of the best the state has to offer. I will still be mobile blogging so check back for quick posts and photos too! Read more

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Dylan Sherrard – Punk Rockin’ This Spring


It’s only April so it still gets cold and windy at night. When it rains all day the trails grow a deadly brown Kamloops slime and people hide inside with their bikes far from sight. That seems like a reasonable defense against unnecessary crashes and injuries but I’ve found myself really attracted to these sketchy conditions. Unfortunately, the last time I went out for a dark and muddy Rio romp I stacked into a pile of rocks with an ungodly amount of force. I didn’t really injure anything but I bruised a few bones that have left me feeling like “Old Man Shredhard” for the past few days. But I guess that’s to be expected when you treat every ride like some kind of punk rock rally. Read More

Posted in DirtJump, Downhill, Freeride | 1 Comment

Mountain Bike Action Rides Kona Big Wheels

Click the image to read the full report

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Dirt Magazine Test Rides The Entourage: “an absolutely fantastic bike”

Click the image to read the full report

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