An iconic mountain bike company has chosen local rider Rhys Verner to be a part of its first enduro racing team.
Kona Bikes selected Verner, who鈥檚 already been receiving support from the corporation.
It鈥檚 yet another accomplishment in a long string of achievements by Verner.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of been awhile coming,鈥� said Verner, noting he鈥檚 been riding with Kona鈥檚 cross country program for some time.
The 20-year-old鈥檚 placement on the enduro team is a logical next step, given his big win in Italy last year.
During the Enduro World Series in Finale Ligure, the rider from Garibaldi Highlands managed to take first place in the under-21 category, finishing one minute and 14 seconds ahead of the closest competitor.
鈥淸It] was a crazy feeling,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat was the start of everything, was winning that. It just kickstarted everything big time. Kona was really fired up about that.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e working on this new enduro program, and I鈥檓 pretty pumped to be one of the guys on it,鈥� he added.
As part of his work with Kona, Verner gets to test-ride new bikes and provide feedback.
鈥淭hey definitely do value my opinions,鈥� he said.
Verner also said he鈥檚 talked with a product manager regarding models that are being designed for enduro racing.
Among other perks, Verner鈥檚 involvement with the company also allows him to pay travel bills for competitions that might have previously been out of his reach before.
鈥淚t just allows me to have the best shot at achieving my goals, and that starts with just getting to the races,鈥� he said.
In two weeks, he鈥檒l be competing in Chile and Columbia, which can both be expensive destinations to visit.
For Verner, his journey into the cycling world began in elementary school.
After classes finished, he and his friends would hit the trails.
Over time, he progressed from elementary races to high school competitions until he started competing at the elite level.
Verner used to race with local cycling club Team Squamish, which has produced accomplished riders such as world champion Miranda Miller.
He also said he cut his teeth training with people like Mark Bunyan, Cory Leclerc and Mike Charuk.
Verner said his parents were very supportive and noted the positive influences he had from fellow riders.
鈥淭here [were] lots of older athletes as well that were positive role models to follow,鈥� he said.
