Ken Block, pictured at the 2017 World Rallycross Championship in Barcelona, Spain, died yesterday in a snowmobile accident, his company said.
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David Ramos/Getty Images
Ken Block, pictured at the 2017 World Rallycross Championship in Barcelona, Spain, died yesterday in a snowmobile accident, his company said.
David Ramos/Getty Images
Action sports legend Ken Block, founder of DC Shoes and Hoonigan Racing, died Monday at age 55 after a snowmobile accident.
Huonigan first announced his death on social media. The Watash County Sheriff’s Office later confirmed that Block was driving a snowmobile near his Utah home around 2:00 p.m. when he attempted to climb a steep hill and the craft fell on top of him. Authorities pronounced him dead at the scene.
“Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. Most importantly, a father and a husband,” Hunigan wrote in a statement. “He will be greatly missed.”
Block founded popular skateboard and footwear brand DC Shoes in 1984, building the brand into a global success through strategic sponsorships and athlete endorsements.
After selling the company for $87 million in 2004, he became a rally car legend, winning 16 national titles in the sport from 2005 to 2014.
He also won five X Games medals and was one of four Americans to score points in the World Rally Championship.
Block was also competitive in motocross and skateboarding, but his call to fame was documenting his motorized aeronautics on social media.
His YouTube page, which has more than 1.95 million subscribers, has fueled America’s respect for motorsports.
Hours before the crash, Block shared photos of the snow at his Utah ranch on social media, saying, “Yes!” wrote. In the photo of snowmobiles on Instagram.
Some mornings on my Utah ranch are like this time of year – fresh snow! Fortunately, we have ski sleds, @CanAm Mavericks (one on a track!) and Defender and Kubota machines to dig us up and maintain the property. pic.twitter.com/LXJG1A6yPr
— Ken Block (@kblock43) December 29, 2022
On Tuesday morning, tributes were paid to the icon on his platforms.
“Ken was really an idol and invited me to the rally. […] “I’ve never been so shocked by someone’s death,” Facebook user Troy Dawson wrote.
Dave Smith, a YouTube commentator, wrote: “I never understood the interest in extreme sports until I saw one of his videos. He was attractive.’
Block’s legend will probably live on because of his family’s success in rallying. His 16-year-old daughter Leah has been competing in Huonigan since she was 11, while his wife Lucy made her all-wheel drive rally debut this year.
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