BMX Rider
Dennis Enarson
Dennis Enarson is an American BMX rider from San Diego known for all-round street and park riding, big transfers and the acclaimed video part Right Here.
Updated 4 min read868 words
Dennis Enarson is an American BMX rider from San Diego, California. He is known as one of the most complete riders of his generation, equally comfortable on street spots, in park contests and on dirt. His riding is defined by speed, height and big transfers, and his 2020 video part Right Here is regarded as one of the best of the modern era.
Early life and background
Enarson was born in 1991 and grew up in San Diego. The city has a strong BMX scene and a long list of skateparks, and he came up riding both parks and street spots from a young age. He was recognised as a talented young rider by his early teens and began appearing in videos and contests before he finished school.
He spent much of his career riding for Haro, one of the oldest names in freestyle BMX, and his long association with the brand gave him a high profile from early on. He has also been a long-time Vans rider, with signature shoes, and has signature parts with Demolition. His sponsor history has changed over time, and he has been involved in several of his own projects and brand associations in recent years.
Career
Enarson was competing at a high level in his teens. He made his way into X Games events and has remained a regular finalist ever since, in street and in other disciplines. He has won multiple X Games medals. Unlike many contest riders, he never specialised in a single format. He could enter a street contest one month and a park or dirt event the next and be a threat in each.
Alongside contests, Enarson built his reputation through video. He has filmed full parts for his sponsors, for brand videos and for his own projects. His sections stand out for the scale of the riding: long gaps, high transfers between separate obstacles, and tricks done at full speed where most riders would slow down.
Right Here, a Vans part filmed and edited by Rich Forne and released in 2020, is the clearest example. The part mixes huge rail riding with big street and transition obstacles and includes some of the biggest and most difficult riding of his career. It was widely praised in the BMX media and by riders, and it is often cited as a benchmark for modern video parts.
Enarson has continued to compete and film into his thirties. He remains one of the most respected riders in the sport, both for the level of his riding and for his consistency over a long career.
Riding style
Enarson rides fast and high. His style is built around transfers: moving from one obstacle to another through the air, often across gaps that other riders would not consider. He uses the full speed of a run-up and rarely scrubs it off.
He is just as capable in the technical side of street riding. Rail tricks, barspins and tailwhips are all part of his vocabulary, and he throws 360s and truck drivers over gaps and down drops. On a park course he rides with the same approach, taking the biggest transfer available rather than the safest line.
Riders often describe his style as clean and solid. He lands heavy tricks with his bike straight and his body composed, which is part of why his riding looks controlled even at scale. He also has a strong sense of how to use a spot, finding transfers and lines that make a well-known location look new.
Video parts and notable moments
Enarson's video output has been consistent throughout his career. Key points include:
- Early sections in brand videos while still a teenager that marked him as a future star.
- Multiple full parts for his long-time sponsors, filmed largely in Southern California.
- Right Here (2020), a Vans video part filmed by Rich Forne that won NORA Cup Video Part of the Year and is widely regarded as his career-defining part and one of the most praised BMX video parts of its time.
- Repeated X Games finals appearances and medals across more than a decade of competition.
His contest career has run alongside Garrett Reynolds and Chad Kerley, fellow street finalists of the same era, and he has been recognised at the NORA Cup awards voted on by riders.
Legacy and influence
Enarson is one of the clearest examples of the modern all-round BMX rider. In an era when most professionals specialise, he showed that it is still possible to compete in contests, film respected street parts and ride dirt at a high level at the same time.
His influence shows up in how younger riders approach transfers and speed. Riding big and fast through a park or a street spot, rather than stopping to set up for each trick, has become a mark of style, and Enarson is one of the riders most associated with it.
Right Here also raised expectations for what a single video part could be. Its production quality and the size of the riding in it set a standard that other riders and brands have since worked towards.
Related
Frequently asked questions about Dennis Enarson
Where is Dennis Enarson from?
He is from San Diego, California, and still lives and rides there. Much of his filming has been done at San Diego street spots and skateparks.
What is Dennis Enarson's best known video part?
Right Here, released in 2020, is usually named as his standout part. It is a Vans part, filmed and edited by Rich Forne, that won NORA Cup Video Part of the Year and was widely praised as one of the best BMX video parts of its era.
Has Dennis Enarson won X Games medals?
Yes. He has won multiple X Games medals across BMX street and other disciplines, and he has been a regular finalist for well over a decade.
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