EPISODE · May 8, 2025 · 1H 3M
The Resurrection of Kona w/ Jacob Heilbron
from Bikes & Big Ideas
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 CoveredKona BikesTOPICS & TIMES:A Quick Kona HistoryThe Decision to Sell KonaKent Buys KonaFrom Record Sales to No SalesKent Blows it with Direct-to-Consumer StrategyKent Blows it Again with BOGO SaleThe Kona Sea Otter Debacle Jake and Dan buy Kona BackWhat Motivated Dan and Jake to Buy it BackKona’s FutureTariffs’ Affect on KonaWhat Jake is RidingNew Bikes on the WayCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDGEAR:30Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What this episode covers
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 CoveredKona BikesTOPICS & TIMES:A Quick Kona HistoryThe Decision to Sell KonaKent Buys KonaFrom Record Sales to No SalesKent Blows it with Direct-to-Consumer StrategyKent Blows it Again with BOGO SaleThe Kona Sea Otter Debacle Jake and Dan buy Kona BackWhat Motivated Dan and Jake to Buy it BackKona’s FutureTariffs’ Affect on KonaWhat Jake is RidingNew Bikes on the WayCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDGEAR:30Blister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Resurrection of Kona w/ Jacob Heilbron
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