Meet Joonas Vinnari, Kona’s in-house cinematographer and the man behind the lens for more than 20 years of Kona storytelling. From World Champs wins to DIY dolly rigs made from sewer pipes, Joonas has seen and shot it all.
Before he was behind the camera, Joonas rode as a European Kona Clump rider, and this new edit he's produced with good friends and collaborators Tuukka Westerholm and Jussi Laukkanen proves he's never lost it. Filmed in Finland and Norway, it captures fresh landscapes, loose descents, and Joonas’s effortless style honed over decades on two wheels.
Whether he’s chasing riders through the woods and jumping treefall with his RED, rigging ghetto cable cams, or brewing coffee during late-night edits, Joonas has helped shape the look and feel of Kona films since the early 2000s.
20 Questions with Joonas Vinnari
(1) How many hard drives are currently stacked on your desk (and do you actually know what’s on all of them)?
We first have to put this in context. We are talking about over 20 years of footage here, and the data wasn’t as large as it is now in the early 2000s. Modern 4k+ footage takes a lot of space, though. I think I have around 100 DV tapes and around 60 drives of “modern” footage.
(2) How many camera bodies have you gone through since your first Kona shoot?
Three DV camcorders, five HDV camcorders, a pile of DSLRs, my RED Raven, and my 16mm film camera. Oh, and a big bag of action cams on top of that.
(3) What’s the most random piece of gear that’s saved a shoot?
The most used random piece that I use is a monopod on top of the camera. With a heavy and steady camera (like my Raven), it gives a quick gimbal kinda setup for fast movements. My first cable cam setup in 2006 was pretty ghetto, and my massive plywood dolly system on sewer pipes. They look pretty funny when you see footage of them now. Oh, I almost forgot the funniest thing I did 20 years ago. I wanted to get the fisheye look from skate videos, so I added an empty roll of duct tape in front of my DV camera to get the black circles! That footage looked so much cooler.
(4) What was your first camera setup when you started at Kona?
Sony VX1000 and a smaller Sony DV cam. Also had a couple of small Panasonic handycams.
(5) What’s your favorite camera or lens combo today?
I’ve had my Red Raven for nine years. I’m a big fan still. I like wide lenses on it because of the smaller sensor. To pick one, I would go with my Tokina 11-16mm cine lens. I just got a Panasonic S9 for a b-cam, and now I’m going crazy over full-frame sensors. There’s so much space!
(6) Any filming disasters that turned into happy accidents?
Every bike shoot.
(7) What’s your go-to snack when editing marathons hit?
I’m not a big snack guy. Coffee and a lot of water.
(8) What’s been the most memorable Kona trip to film?
There are so many beautiful places and people on my list, but if I had to pick a couple, I’d say our Kona Africa Bike trip to Tanzania with WWF for sure. Not sure on the year, but it was 15+ years ago. My first filming trip was pretty eye-opening, too. Les Gets Worlds in 2004. Fabien Barel won on home turf and as a Kona Factory Team rider. Maybe the biggest party I’ve ever been to. It was the size of a village.
(9) What’s the gnarliest travel moment you’ve had with the team?
We’ve been pretty fortunate. Never been robbed or anything too gnarly. Almost got into fights with drug dealers twice, though. In Africa and Madeira.
(10) Which Kona rider has surprised you the most on a shoot?
Pros are pros, so riding-wise, they can definitely ride. Not big news. All the surprises happen when the cameras are turned off. I did learn the hard way that my cornering is not up there when I was trying to follow Fabien Barel in Leogang with a GoPro Hero 1 on my helmet. Not a surprise, but eye-opening just how those guys carry speed.
(11) What’s the weirdest or funniest thing you’ve witnessed behind the scenes?
No comment. haha
(12) If you could redo or repeat one shoot anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I feel like there is a lot more to do in New Zealand still. Tasmania in Australia would be a cool place to go again, too. Canada is always in my heart.
(14) What’s one location you’ve always dreamed of filming a Kona project in?
I haven’t done anything in South America or Asia. It would be great to head to either of those.
(15) How has your approach to shooting bikes changed over 20 years?
There is just way more than bikes and riding. It’s all about the culture for me these days. Tech-wise, now all the cameras are good. It’s all about the people, the location, and the story.
(16) What’s your favorite Kona bike you’ve filmed and why?
Humuhumunukunukuapu’a that we shot with my ex-wife in Vancouver. There was just so much emotion and heritage on that shoot. A Finnish guy who grew up as a big Kona fan. All of a sudden, I’m filming in Vancouver, where Kona was founded. Riding with old and new Kona bikes and continuing the story.
(17) What’s one thing people don’t realize about shooting mountain biking?
It takes more time than you think.
(18) What’s the hardest part about keeping up with riders on the trail?
Big jumps! Give me anything else, and I will catch you. Can you hold my camera bag.
(19) What’s the one Kona trip, project, or moment that sums up your time here best?
We have been talking about film trips. But the things that I remember most are the times that I have spent with the Kona employees. Building shows like Euro Bike and our dealer launches, and our week-long product photo shoots. Times when you spend quality time with a solid crew and do everything together.
(20) And finally, a non-film-based question: which Bike did you choose to ride in this video and why?
I’ve been on a Process 134 for years, but this year I wanted something with a bit more travel and the option to set it up as a mullet with flip chips when needed. I also wanted to go back to an aluminum frame after riding carbon for a while. So I went with the new, straight-from-the-box stock Process 153. The reason I’m running it stock is because my new role at Kona is as a sales rep for Finland, and what better way to learn a bike than by riding it? Now I can talk to customers about it from real experience.
