How did Ken Block die? Rally car star and YouTuber dies aged 55
Pro rally driver and Hoonigan co-founder Ken Block lost his life in a snowmobile accident on Monday. A co-founder of DC shoes, Block moved into the world of rally and quickly made a name for himself, developing the Hoonigan brand and his famous Gymkhana videos.
In a statement published by the Wasatch County Sheriff's Office on Facebook, it was revealed that Ken Block sustained terminal injuries after the snowmobile upended and fell on top of him. The statement read,
"On January 2, 2023 at approximately 2:00 p.m., the Wasatch County 911 Center received a call reporting a snowmobile accident in the Mill Hollow area. The driver, Kenneth Block, 55-year-old male out of Park City, Utah, was riding a snowmobile on a steep slope when the snowmobile upended, landing on top of him. He was pronounced deceased at the scene from injuries sustained in the accident."
Hoonigan industries confirmed Ken Block's death in a statement released on social media that said,
"It's with deepest regrets that we can confirm that Ken Block passed away in a snowmobile accident today. Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed."
Ken Block co-founded the skateboard brand DC Shoes in 1994 before selling the company in 2004. Post the sale, Block transitioned from being a marketing executive to one of the most recognizable names in motorsports. Within 5 years of his rally career, he became a consistent World Rally and Rally America podium threat and a five-time X Games medalist in RallyCross.
In 2008, Ken Block posted the first of 10 Gymkhana videos on his YouTube channel that featured him stunt driving and drifting in a creative manner. The videos went viral and garnered over a billion views, making Hoonigan the most popular YouTube channel in motorsports history.
Steve Arpin, Block's teammate in the Nitro RallyCross series, called him a "legend" and "everything this world needs more of." He told ESPN,
"Ken was a legend in his ability to take a vision and make it a reality. He created an industry. But if you were lucky enough to know him, that's where the best parts of Ken surfaced. He treated his friends like gold and would create opportunities for whoever wanted to put in the work. He was everything this world needs more of, and just happened to do a lot of really cool stuff on the side."
"This year Ken was so happy!" - Travis Pastrana on his friend and former teammate
Action sports icon Travis Pastrana told ESPN that 2022 was a very happy year for Block after everything had started to come together for him. Block had recently raced in the 2022 Amerian Rally Association Championship alongside his wife Lucy, and witnessed his 16-year-old daughter Lia racing as well. Travis said,
"This year, Ken was so happy. At the races, he was happy to be racing with Lucy and to have his daughter racing and to have his kids at most of the races. Few people get to the point in their lives where everything comes together, and to have it all taken away like this is devastating."
Pastrana and Block were teammates in 2006 as part of Subaru Rally Team USA and have been close friends throughout their careers.