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In April of 2024, Kona Bikes set up their tent at Sea Otter, then promptly tore it back down when Kent Outdoors, who owned Kona at the time, pulled the rug right out from under them and declared that Kona was no longer in business. A year later, we sit down with Kona founder Jacob Heilbron about why he and other Kona founder Dan Gerhard sold Kona to Kent Outdoors; what happened at Sea Otter; how things have been going since buying Kona back; rebuilding the brand image; what their future plans look like; and a whole lot more. RELATED LINKS: BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered Kona Bikes TOPICS & TIMES: A Quick Kona History The Decision to Sell Kona Kent Buys Kona From Record Sales to No Sales Kent Blows it with Direct-to-Consumer Strategy Kent Blows it Again with BOGO Sale The Kona Sea Otter Debacle Jake and Dan buy Kona Back What Motivated Dan and Jake to Buy it Back Kona’s Future Tariffs’ Affect on Kona What Jake is Riding New Bikes on the Way CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED GEAR:30 Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
