Seth Enslow
Encyclopedia
Seth Enslow is an American motorcyclist, and stunt performer
most notorious for his big jumps and equally big crashes.
and Florida
. In 1993 after graduating from Wellsboro H.S. in Pennsylvania, he moved to California
. It was there that he met up with Dana Nicholson who had just founded Fleshwound Films with fellow filmmakers Jon and Cami Freeman. In 1994, they released their first film Crusty Demons
of Dirt showcasing the underground motocross movement out in the deserts and badlands in the US. The film gave Seth notoriety for over jumping a sand dune and crashing hard. The distance he traveled was never measured but it's speculated to be around 200 to 250 feet. The movie quickly spawned a sequel, and once again, Seth made an impact by coming up short on a jump and landing on supercross
racer Jeremy McGrath
's practice bike. This notoriety made Seth one of the first bike riders to receive sponsors without having a racing career.
Seth, who by now was making a living riding bikes, decided to break the world record of 251 feet set by Doug Danger. He started practicing by jumping ramp jumps over kegs of beer, cars, motorcycle and other big objects at different events. In 1999, he broke Robbie Knievel's (son of Evel Knievel
) 226 feet record for most motorcycle jumps. However, Seth's triple clamps broke, which disconnected his front end from the frame, resulting in Seth diving head first into the asphalt. But, Seth was soon on his feet and even signing autographs before leaving the venue.
, which is basically a Honda 250 dirt bike with a 500cc two stroke engine. Seth started jumping 120 feet jumps and gradually pulled the ramp back finishing with a 240 feet jump before calling it a day due to increasing winds.
The next day, the wind was still blowing but it was a tailwind and would not risk pushing Seth sideways. So, jumping continued with the first jump to be around 220–230 feet. However, the tail wind was stronger than anticipated and pushed Seth beyond his landing ramp where he traveled 245 feet. The flat landing cause Seth to hit his head on the handlebars which crushed his skull above his right eye. Seth fell off his bike and paramedics rushed to his aid. An emergency helicopter lifted him to a nearby hospital where the doctors cut him ear to ear, pulled his forehead down and inserted two titanium plates to replace his crushed part of his cranium.
Seth was recommended by his doctors to not ride his bike for at least six months. However, Seth ignored this and four weeks later, he broke the overall indoor world record with a 170 feet jump at the Los Angeles Coliseum. This was all featured in his first own film release 'Seth - The Hard way' released in 2000.
; an event which led to six new records being set in different categories in front of an audience of 22,000 people. Seth was originally supposed to attempt to break the 250cc but had to back out after injuring himself at a practice session. Seth then gave up his spot to his old friend Larry Linkogle who successfully broke the record with a 255 feet jump (which was also the overall record for a few hours before broke by Trigger Gumm with a 277.5 feet).
In 2007, Seth appeared in the Discovery
series Stunt Junkies
where he jumped a Convair 880
passenger jet, a total distance close to 200 feet. After successfully jumping the plane, Seth jumped it again, later being quoted to saying, "When would I get another chance to jump an airplane that big?"
's previous world record of 157 feet (47.85 metres) set in Las Vegas in 1999. The stunt took place at Barangaroo, on Sydney harbour and is measured in feet because the previous records have been set in the US. The death-defying stunt was seen as recreating an unforgettable Harley-Davidson benchmark set by Evel Knievel
in 1975.
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
most notorious for his big jumps and equally big crashes.
Rise to Motorcycle fame
When he was sixteen, he bought his first dirtbike and started to race as an amateur in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. In 1993 after graduating from Wellsboro H.S. in Pennsylvania, he moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It was there that he met up with Dana Nicholson who had just founded Fleshwound Films with fellow filmmakers Jon and Cami Freeman. In 1994, they released their first film Crusty Demons
Crusty Demons
The Crusty Demons are a group of daredevil freestyle motorcyclists from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Boise2011- Background :...
of Dirt showcasing the underground motocross movement out in the deserts and badlands in the US. The film gave Seth notoriety for over jumping a sand dune and crashing hard. The distance he traveled was never measured but it's speculated to be around 200 to 250 feet. The movie quickly spawned a sequel, and once again, Seth made an impact by coming up short on a jump and landing on supercross
Supercross
Supercross is a motorcycle racing sport involving off-road motorcycles on an artificially-made dirt tracks consisting of steep jumps and obstacles. Professional supercross contest races are held almost exclusively within professional baseball and football stadiums.-History:Supercross was derived...
racer Jeremy McGrath
Jeremy McGrath
Jeremy McGrath is one of the most popular American Motocross/Supercross champions in the history of the sport. He was most active in the 1990s earning the title the "King of Supercross." His tricks during jumps on the supercross track, the most famous of which he called the "Nac Nac", helped spawn...
's practice bike. This notoriety made Seth one of the first bike riders to receive sponsors without having a racing career.
Seth, who by now was making a living riding bikes, decided to break the world record of 251 feet set by Doug Danger. He started practicing by jumping ramp jumps over kegs of beer, cars, motorcycle and other big objects at different events. In 1999, he broke Robbie Knievel's (son of Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
) 226 feet record for most motorcycle jumps. However, Seth's triple clamps broke, which disconnected his front end from the frame, resulting in Seth diving head first into the asphalt. But, Seth was soon on his feet and even signing autographs before leaving the venue.
First record attempt
In 1999, Seth made his first attempt to break the overall record at fellow motocross rider Mike Cinqmars' property with a ramp designed by Johnny Airtime of Air Time Association. Seth was riding a customized Service HondaHonda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
, which is basically a Honda 250 dirt bike with a 500cc two stroke engine. Seth started jumping 120 feet jumps and gradually pulled the ramp back finishing with a 240 feet jump before calling it a day due to increasing winds.
The next day, the wind was still blowing but it was a tailwind and would not risk pushing Seth sideways. So, jumping continued with the first jump to be around 220–230 feet. However, the tail wind was stronger than anticipated and pushed Seth beyond his landing ramp where he traveled 245 feet. The flat landing cause Seth to hit his head on the handlebars which crushed his skull above his right eye. Seth fell off his bike and paramedics rushed to his aid. An emergency helicopter lifted him to a nearby hospital where the doctors cut him ear to ear, pulled his forehead down and inserted two titanium plates to replace his crushed part of his cranium.
Seth was recommended by his doctors to not ride his bike for at least six months. However, Seth ignored this and four weeks later, he broke the overall indoor world record with a 170 feet jump at the Los Angeles Coliseum. This was all featured in his first own film release 'Seth - The Hard way' released in 2000.
Second record attempt
Seth healed up and continued to shoot several films for Fleshwound Films and other companies and going for big jumps as well as being a featured rider on the Crusty Demons World Tour. In 2004, he released his second film named simply 'Seth II' which showcased Seth riding with his friends on several different locations and also his second record attempt. The attempt was held at what riders usually called Manny's Yard, a location with several big jumps. The biggest measuring in at 200 feet. The venue was long from ideal and had a complicated run up to the ramp. This meant that as the ramp was pulled back further and further, Seth struggled to get the speed he needed in order to clear the gap. This led to Seth coming up short of the landing ramp and sending him flying through the air resulting in a broken leg and a concussion.Night of Records 2006
In 2006, Fleshwound Films organized 'The Night of Records Down Under' in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; an event which led to six new records being set in different categories in front of an audience of 22,000 people. Seth was originally supposed to attempt to break the 250cc but had to back out after injuring himself at a practice session. Seth then gave up his spot to his old friend Larry Linkogle who successfully broke the record with a 255 feet jump (which was also the overall record for a few hours before broke by Trigger Gumm with a 277.5 feet).
In 2007, Seth appeared in the Discovery
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
series Stunt Junkies
Stunt Junkies
Stunt Junkies was a Discovery Channel show that showed professional athletes performing dangerous stunts. The show showed all the steps the athlete must do to successfully complete the stunt. The series spanned 2 seasons of 43 episodes...
where he jumped a Convair 880
Convair 880
The Convair 880 was a narrow-body jet airliner produced by the Convair division of General Dynamics. It was designed to compete with the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 by being smaller and faster, a niche that failed to create demand...
passenger jet, a total distance close to 200 feet. After successfully jumping the plane, Seth jumped it again, later being quoted to saying, "When would I get another chance to jump an airplane that big?"
Night of Records 2008
Fleshwound Films once again held a record event in 2008 where several records were broken. This year, Seth was able to participate and set a new personal best with a jump of 301 feet. However, this was far from close to breaking the record since it had been bettered by both Robbie Maddison and Ryan Capes. However, Seth commented his jump with, "I am stoked. I may not have claimed the World Record but I am really happy with my result. That is the best I have jumped." Seth also says he no longer has any plans to try to break the overall record since the stakes are just too high with the current record being set at 346 feet 4 inches set by Robbie Maddison.World Record Harley Davidson Jump 2010
On 2 March 2010, Seth managed a leap between ramps of 183.7 feet (55.99 metres) - easily beating Bubba BlackwellBubba Blackwell
Bubba Blackwell is a stunt performer and motorcycle jumping world record holder who was sponsored by and promoted Buell Motorcycle Company...
's previous world record of 157 feet (47.85 metres) set in Las Vegas in 1999. The stunt took place at Barangaroo, on Sydney harbour and is measured in feet because the previous records have been set in the US. The death-defying stunt was seen as recreating an unforgettable Harley-Davidson benchmark set by Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel , born Robert Craig Knievel, was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps between 1965 and 1980, and in 1974, a failed jump across Snake River Canyon in the Skycycle X-2, a steam-powered rocket...
in 1975.
Other activities
As Seth got older, he looked for other business to branch into to be able to make a living with less risks involved. A few years back, he opened Headquarters Tattoo Parlor and hired many of his friends who were tattoo artists as well as learning to tattoo himself. Beside offering tattoos and piercings, they also sell DVDs featuring Seth's riding, his signature series of shoes and other products. He has also purchased several properties and is planning to get into the real estate business. Seth also owns a custom built motorcycle built by Matt Hotch from Hot Match Custom Cycles.Movie appearances
- Crusty Demons of Dirt
- Crusty Demons of Dirt 2
- Crusty Demons of Dirt 3
- Crusty Demons - God bless the freaks
- Crusty Demons - 2000 the Metal Millennium
- Crusty Demons - The next level
- Crusty Demons - The sevent mission
- Crusty Demons - The eight dimension
- Crusty Demons - Nine lives
- Crusty Demons - A Decade of Dirt
- Crusty Demons - Chaotic Chronicles of The Crusty Demons of Dirt
- Crusty Demons - The dirty dozen
- Crusty Demons - Unleash Hell
- Crusty Demons - Josh Anderson dirt to Dust
- Crusty Demons - Global Assault Tour
- Crusty Night of Records
- Seth - The Hard way
- Seth II
- Metal Mulisha World Domination
- Fresno Smooth
- Full Throttle Extreme
- Heaven and Hell on Earth
- Ryan Capes - My way to the record
- Motorcycle Mayhem X
- Bubba's flying 50 Freaks Circus 2
- Brian Deegans Disposable Heroes
- All my crazy friends 2 - A more nuts
- Bilko vs. the Widow Maker
- Wrath Child
- Jeremy McGrath: Roots