Video: Miranda Miller Officially Joins Kona & Commits to EWS Season

The team rumors have been flying for the past few months, but we’re ready to make it official… officially Miller Time! We could not be more excited to welcome Canadian legend and powerhouse racer Miranda Miller to the Kona family. Miller will be headlining our Global Enduro program alongside Rhys Verner, Connor Fearon, Shelly Flood, and Hannah Bergemann. She’ll be racing the Process 153 CR DL 29 and the Operator CR for select downhill races. Miranda brings a balance of strength, humor, and powerful riding to the Kona roster and we can't wait to have a little more Miller Time in our world! We caught up with Miranda in between California hot laps to chat about the move to a local-to-her company, the EWS, and...rice burning?




Miranda: "It's true! I'm on a Kona! It’s time for a new chapter to this story. The past pages are full of semi-trucks, fast cars, French boys, rainbow stripes, crashing and burning. What’s written on the next is maybe more relatable to a western theme. Much more saddle time, and wide open plains where one is allowed to be themselves and challenged in varied terrain. Kona is the place where I look forward to grabbing the reins with both hands and showing that this show pony isn’t ready for the glue factory. Kona has shown me that they share the same enthusiasm for racing and riding in the way that made us all love this sport to begin with. Team Manager, Mathieu Dupelle has already been looking after me for 10 plus years. Giving me shelter, rides and parts as a privateer back in the day. Here at Kona, I know I’m with good people."




Miranda: "My past two seasons were ones riddled with injuries and performances that I found hard to find pride in. In retrospective, of course, I should have been proud, but often we are our harshest critics. Still, I know that I’m a better rider than my last two seasons of racing. I needed a refresh and restart with a company that recognizes this and is willing to support me for more than just race results. A company that loves what I love, for the same reasons."



Miranda: "The first thing that comes to mind after a few weeks on the bike is: Fun. What they say is true. The Kona Process 153 29″ is one of the most fun bikes I’ve ridden. My riding has been invigorated so to say. In only a few weeks I’ve found a new speed, style and drive to push a little harder. My interactions with the staff of Kona has been very genuine and real. It’s a place where I can be me…and me is a little weird like them."



Miranda: "It's super important to me to work with a local company. We live in the mountain bike capital of the world with Kona at the heart of it. There is no disconnect between company and rider, company and dealer — our backyards are the same. It allows me to belong and be a part of the same community, loving all the same rides."



Miranda: "One of the things that I'm most looking forward to with Kona is being able to share my voice and certain style more, at the races, on the trails, and in the media. Kona isn’t afraid to do things differently, say what they want and show a little flair."



Miranda: "This year I'm going to be making the switch to race a pretty full EWS schedule. It's is a new challenge for me. I’ve done events before but never with a commitment to a season, it was always a sideshow to DH. Although EWS is physically tough, you don’t have the high speeds and hard compressions that DH does. When you’re struggling and not mentally 100% into a World Cup DH run it’s impossible to perform and more dangerous. I love riding my trail bike, I also like exercising and I like the part of EWS where no one knows what’s going to happen! Let us all just go do something different and something that we’re maybe not as comfortable with. Or did I just read that on a Lululemon bag?"



Miranda: "It may seem like fate, but really I only believe in Tarot cards, magic eight balls, and horoscopes. JK, I don’t. But, my first ever email address was stinkykona45@hotmail.com. Did anyone grow up not wanting a Stinky? I grew up in Squamish and Kona sponsored a local rider, Kyle Ritchie aka Hercules and he was kind of the coolest kid in town. He threw down in Rampage and on the same trails I rode. But the coolest part was that Kona had all these sick free riders with a “no f*cks given, let’s just ride” attitude but then on the other hand as a company they were also out there winning World Championships."



Miranda: "At races, there are often words I use to help in race runs or practice but I find those can change based on the location or race. I don’t think I’ve formulated a mantra just yet but what gets me excited about this upcoming season is just a lot of changes. I like that many things are unknown and that I get to learn all new equipment again. So if I had to give myself a mantra for this season maybe it would be something along the lines of, “restart, relax and enter the unknown.”







Miranda: "I'm stoked to be racing alongside another friend from Squamish, Rhys Verner. I’ve known Rice Burner since he was an uber grom! I can’t wait to travel with that goon. He’s smart, but not so smart that we can’t communicate, he’s fit but not so fit that he’s socially stunted from a lack of oxygen to the brain and he’s funny enough that he will make me laugh."



Miranda: "Another cool thing about Kona is that Connor Fearon has to ride with me now."


At Kona, we couldn’t ask for a better fit for our program. Bonus points: she’s Canadian and we love staying true to our roots! From all of us at Kona, we’re wishing you the best 2019 possible and we are beyond stoked to have you on our team!

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