‘Ken Block Dies in Snowmobile Accident’

Ken Block, rally driver turned extreme sports star and cultural visionary whose daredevil stunt driving and Hoonigan brand helped define car enthusiasm for a generation, passed away on Monday at 55 years of age after snowmobiling on a remote mountain pass in northern Utah. We regret to confirm his passing.

Ken was an innovator, pioneer, and icon. Above all, he was a beloved husband and father. He will be greatly missed. The accident occurred in Wasatch County, Utah, and the police reported that Block was swerving his snowmobile on a steep slope when it overturned and crushed him to death.

He was pronounced deceased at the scene as a result of the accident, as stated by the statement said, adding that he was riding in a group but was alone at the time.

‘Block’s career’

Block began a career in rallying in 2005. He was named Rookie of the Year in the World Rally Championship. He was the winner of the Rallycross USA Cup.

Block’s achievements as a skateboarder and motocross racer are as difficult to condense into a singlespiel as his career is itself. He co-founded DC Shoes back in 1994 and later competed in rally races professionally for them. In 2005 he began competing in Rally America, and won some WRC registration spots as a result. He built Monster World Rally Team in 2010.

Amid competing in multiple rallycross championship series and filming his first Gymkhana videos, he became the first-ever driver to compete in the World Rally Championship. At the same time, he was constantly acting in released videos under the Hoonigan banner. They are some of the most copied, never repeated stunts of all time.

His successes, visibility, and extraordinary skillsets earned him a standing as a celebrity stunt driver. If he was hired for something jumped or slid, spun, or fixed, he no doubt was capable of it. He helped put on TV specials, video games, Top Gear episodes, and other productions. Regardless of his supposed role as a veteran among the enthusiasts, however, the day wasn’t over for him.

Block competed against Pikes Peak last June at the last possible moment due to vehicle mechanical issues, which was the right opportunity for him to break a new record. He made a video in partnership with Audi and participated as a guest in the “Electrikhana” program, which was effectively filmed in Las Vegas.

In 2022, he competed in the same American Rally Association Championship competition once again alongside his young daughter Lia.

‘Ken Block activities everywhere’

As noteworthy as this is, it’s only as intimidating to try to sum up the impact of someone like Ken Block. It appeared as if he was all over the place over the previous decade rallying, drifting, climbing, Gymkhana-ing, just pushing boundaries wherever he could, however he could, and having the best time in doing so.

In a minute, he would be at a World Rally Championship race in Spain, in the next one he would be heading up Pike’s Peak, and in the next he would be sliding across your screen in the latest Gymkhana video. Meanwhile, the Hoonigan lifestyle, merchandise, and apparel brand he helped found as a cofounder back in 2010 brought millions of young enthusiasts into the scene through their outrageous, modern-day take on car chases.

Alongside his wife, Block leaves behind three siblings, an enormous impact on automobile culture , and most importantly, the reputation he has earned as a man action hero: a specialist in automobile mechanics and an uncanny driver. His sudden death creates an empty space in which nothing will ever be the same. Read More