Kona Bicycles Again Official Supplier of Whistler Mountain Bike Park

Kona Bicycles Again Official Supplier of Whistler Mountain Bike Park
 
KONAWORLD – The Kona Bicycle Company will once again be the official bike supplier of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park (WMBP), the world’s number one mountain bike resort destination. The formalization of the 2004 relationship marks the 5th year the two companies have been working together.
 
Kona will provide WMBP with 120 special edition Stab Garbanzo downhill bikes for the park’s rental fleet, plus five Stab Primos for the park’s top guides. Kona will also be the exclusive sponsor of Whistler’s Air Downhill, Joyride BikerCross and SlopeStyle events. Dates TBA.
 
Kona will use the Whistler Mountain Bike Park “Official Supplier” designation logo on their bikes and other marketing materials to promote the relationship.
 
According to Kona’s chairman, Jake Heilbron, the WMBP has proved to be a valuable testing ground in developing bikes downhill-specific bikes. “We use the feedback we get from the guides and the mechanics to identify potential weak spots when spec-ing our Out of Bounds bikes,” said Heilbron. “Last year, each bike had more than 1 million vertical feet of riding. That’s some serious use.”
 
Heilbron also noted that in the last four years, not one Kona frame from the WMBP rental fleet has failed. An incredible accomplishment considering the abuse less experienced riders dish out, as well as the mind-set associated with having a “rental”.
 
Rob McSkimming, the WMBP’s managing director, was glad to have Kona back.. "The Whistler Mountain Bike Park is excited to have Kona on board as an Official Supplier for the fifth consecutive year. Kona's products have proven year in, year out that they can take all the pounding that the Park can dish out. We anticipate that our Garbanzo Expansion which, will triple the vertical of the WMBP to 3,400 feet, will test our Kona rental fleet even more. We have no doubt that our special Garbanzo Edition Stabs will be more than up to the challenge."
 
About the Whistler Mountain Bike Park:
The Whistler Mountain Bike Park features more than 125 miles of lift-serviced trails, dropping riders more than 4,800 vertical feet. The park features three skills centers and a BikerCross Course. For more information visit, whistlerblackcomb.com.