Dakota Roche

Dakota Roche is an American street rider from Southern California. He is one of the most respected street riders of his generation, known for a fast, stylish approach and for a long run of acclaimed video parts rather than contest wins. He has been associated with Cult since the brand launched around 2010 and has had a long relationship with Vans.

Early life and background

Roche grew up in Southern California, in the Orange County area, and started riding BMX as a child. The region has one of the densest concentrations of skateparks and street spots in the world, and he came up riding both. He was filmed early and had attention from the BMX media while still in his teens.

His first major sponsor in the industry was Fit Bike Co, where he rode alongside an established team of street riders and appeared in the brand's videos. That association ended when a group of Fit's riders and staff left to start a new company.

Career

Roche's career has been built on video. Through the late 2000s he rode for Fit Bike Co, which gave him a signature frame in 2010, and his video sections established him as one of the most stylish young street riders in the United States.

Around 2010 (some sources say 2009) Cult was launched by former Fit team manager Robbie Morales, with a group of riders who moved across from Fit. Roche was part of that founding team and has remained one of Cult's central riders ever since. He has had signature frames and parts with the brand and has appeared in its videos, including the full-length Talk Is Cheap.

He has also been a long-time rider for Vans, the footwear brand with deep roots in skateboarding and BMX, and has appeared in Vans BMX projects over many years. Alongside brand videos, he has filmed for larger productions and online series, and his parts are consistently among the most anticipated releases in street BMX.

Roche has entered contests over the years but has never built his career around them. His reputation rests on video parts, on his style and on the respect of other riders. He has continued to film and release new parts well into his thirties.

Riding style

Roche rides fast and high. His street riding is known for big wallrides, long gaps and airs out of banks and transitions that most riders would treat as flat ground. He uses speed to make spots look bigger than they are and chooses lines that flow through a location rather than stopping at each obstacle.

His trick selection leans towards style over pure technicality. Tabletops, turndowns, 360s and barspins are done with height and extension, and his grinds tend to be fast and long rather than linked into dense combinations. He is also known for creative use of unusual spots, finding transfers and setups that others overlook.

Riders often point to how his riding looks: relaxed on the bike, with clean body position and no wasted movement. That look has been as influential as any individual trick.

Video parts and notable moments

Key points in Roche's career include:

• Early parts with Fit Bike Co, which established his reputation.
• Joining Cult as part of the founding team around 2010 and becoming one of the brand's defining riders.
• A part in Cult's Talk Is Cheap and many other Cult video projects.
• A long association with Vans and appearances in Vans BMX projects.
• A continuous run of video parts across more than fifteen years, with each one widely discussed on release.

Legacy and influence

Roche represents a particular ideal in street riding: the rider whose career is built on style and video rather than on contest results. In an era when the X Games and other contests became more important, he showed that a street rider could remain one of the most respected names in the sport without a medal count.

His influence on how street riding looks is significant. The emphasis on speed, height and flow, rather than on packing as many tricks as possible into a line, has been picked up by many riders who came after him, including riders at Cult such as Brandon Begin.

He has also been central to Cult's identity. The brand built its image around a core group of riders with strong personal styles, and Roche has been one of the constants in that group from the start.

Related

• Street
• Cult
• Fit Bike Co
• Talk Is Cheap
• Garrett Reynolds
• Chase Hawk
• Brandon Begin
• Rise of street riding