Conversas de Boca ao lado - II

Para quem já conhece o conteúdo das minhas conversas com o Nuno Feliz, aí vai mais uma na mais pura inocência baseada na marca da bicicleta e respectivo historial...

THE KONA TIMELINE
1988
- Kona is founded by Dan Gerhard and Jacob Heilbron in Blaine, Washington. 


1989
- Project Two, the first Straight Leg MTB production fork is introduced. Throughout the Kona range today


1990
- Kona Hot, the 2nd US-made XC hardtail begins production in August 1990.


1994
- Sex One and Sex Too are introduced in September, the first Kona dual-suspension bicycles.
- Humuhumu-Nukunuku-Apu'A wins out as the name for the Kona single peed cruiser over Unit. It's the longest name used for a bicycle model. 

1995
- Ku is the first aluminum mountain bike frame produced by Kona in the USA.
- Kona Design Group creates first original dual suspension design-a unified, linear-rate design named Sex (for suspension experience) One, Too and Three. 
- Kona Europe is founded with headquarters in the Black Forest. 

1996
- The Kona Misser DH bike with 5 inches of travel. Limited production Kona DH Misser replica bikes are produced. 

1997
- Kona introduces Jake the Snake cyclocross bike. 

1999
- Kona "Feel the Flow" demo tour is started. The new 29 foot RV with a 20-foot trailer full of Kona tours 20 states and provinces around North America. During the next 10 years, over 40,000 riders have had an opportunity to take a free Kona test ride.

2000
- Glow in the Dark. Need we say more?
- Kona Europe holds 1st Kona Festival in Elba, Italy for media, distributors and dealers. There is much riding, and grappa flows freely.
- Two BMX models are produced: Kuku (means "jump" in Hawaiian) is a dirt jumper and Mama (means "race") is, um, a race bike. 

2001
- Greg Minaar races DH in South Africa on a Kona Stab. 
- Kona Ring of Fire chainguide/double chainrings is the set-up for dirt jumpers.

2002
- Jake the Snake is inducted into the MTB Hall of Fame.

2004
- Kona Bike Park Leogang, Austria holds their first Out of Bounds/Kona Festival where John Cowan pulls off the world's first backflip. 

2005
- The Kona Global 24 Hour series is launched, with Kona sponsored days of pain in the UK, Australia and Colorado.

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. 

2007
- Brian Berthold of Brake Therapy and Kona conspire to bring DOPE to Kona 

2008
- Kona Switzerland opens in Geneva and also launches Kona Basic Needs, a humanitarian organization to bring more AfricaBikes to Africa, starting with the WWF water project in Nigeria.