INFOCUS - DENNIS ENNARSON
We sat down with Dennis in his garage at home, just after he'd dropped his two kids off for naps. Having recently recovered from a broken kneecap, we watched him assemble his new limited-edition Haro SD frame and reflect on the past four months of recovery.
Learn more about his motivation, his life off the bike, and what drives him to fight for a better future.
Hey Dennis, congratulations on the birth of your daughter Raven! It looks like you're on the road to recovery from your kneecap injury. What have you been up to in your time off from cycling?
Thank you! I broke my kneecap a few weeks before my daughter, Raven, was born and was able to put down the crutches just in time to adjust to life with two children. It was pretty intense—in a great way. I was able to use this time off from cycling to be there for my family and to embrace the new changes. I'm also doing physical therapy and rehab for my knee.
In the meantime, I've released my Raven video installment, started the Game of Bike series on my YouTube channel, and recorded the Unclicked podcasts. It's been almost four months filled with friends, family, and healing. My life is always full of things happening at once!
What excites you about your friends, your family and San Diego?
Since I was a child, I've always been on the move... I love San Diego and my roots here. I'm incredibly grateful that I never had to upend my life and start over somewhere else. My family and friends are the people I've spent my whole life with. After 33 years, they're still the same people I get to spend time with when I'm home. I have my BMX family, but also my San Diego family. They're two different worlds that often overlap. I'm truly grateful for that.
Where do you get the motivation to give so much back to the BMX community—whether through Markit , the Unclicked podcast, or the new Game of Bike series on your YouTube channel? Did you ever want to become a BMX spokesperson?
Haha, no, not a voice actor at all. All of these projects started during periods when I had a bit more time. When I'm not taking a break from filming, competing, or being injured, I always want to do cool things for BMX as best I can! There have been plenty of periods like that over the years. If I can't actively produce something for myself, I at least want to highlight what other riders are doing. That excites the riders and the community, and that makes me happy! It was the same with Markit —I was happy to not just make a video for myself, but to get a crew together and create something we can all look back on with pride while motivating each other. I've always felt like I had a certain responsibility to give back. I'm so grateful to have turned pro at such a young age and to have received so much from the BMX community. I just want to give some motivation back to the community. 
Besides cycling, what other things keep you motivated? Are there other subcultures you identify with?
For me, there are all the other sports that are related to BMX. Two of my favorites are supercross and mountain biking . They're just different types of bikes, but I love it. Anything related to it in some way, including skating, snowboarding, even climbing and various bands. I just love seeing people pursue their passion and motivation. It's enough to see talent; it doesn't necessarily have to be BMX to motivate me!
How do you manage to maintain a positive attitude while constantly working to advance BMX, your own career and family?
GRATITUDE! I have nothing to be negative about. Well, the only time I'm negative is when I'm tired. That's my main focus, keeping my energy levels high because life can't beat me down. There's no reason I should be down; I have the best family, friends, a great place to live, and BMX. Even through this injury, I looked for the positives on day one. Three and a half months later, I wouldn't take that injury back; it's already made me grow so much.
How do you always manage to stay consistent and trust yourself when making decisions, including the things you film, the sponsors you choose, and the ideas you implement?
I try to be consistent in everything around me, whether it's the sponsors who support me or my friends and family. I like to grow with people and brands. Internally, however, I'm a bit inconsistent. I always have to take risks and try new things, film new clips, or even test new platforms like YouTube. It's like that with everything; the number of things that haven't worked out is also high. I've tried so many different things because it's fun; I'm just trying to figure it out. There will be ups and downs, but the goal is always to go up!
Check out Dennis' playlist here.
