Ken Block was successful at everything he did. He worked as a professional rally driver and starred in his own YouTube channel called Hoonigan, which had amassed more than five million subscribers. He was also the co-founder of the fashion brand DC Shoes. Just days ago, Ken shared a social media post from his home in Utah where he showed pictures of snow falling on the land. Only days later, his life would tragically end much too early after he got into a horrible accident while using a snowmobile.
The loss of Ken Block will be felt far and wide. His teammate in the Nitro RallyCross series, Steve Arpin, released a statement following the action sports star’s sudden death stating: “Ken was a legend in his ability to take a vision and make it a reality. He created an industry.”
In addition to the comment from Steve, Hoonigan Racing also released an official statement confirming that Ken Block had died.
“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.”
Thankfully, TMZ did some more digging into the tragedy and found some information from the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s office stated that around 2 pm, Ken was riding a snowmobile down a steep slope. During his ride, the vehicle upended and landed on top of him, crushing him. Although first responders did make it to the scene of the snowmobile crash, they could do nothing to bring Ken Block back from the dead. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash and was just fifty-five years old when he perished.
According to a report from CNN, the Sheriff’s office explained, “Mr. Block was riding with a group but was alone when the accident occurred. The State Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the official cause of death. We are saddened to hear of the loss of Kenneth, and our hearts are with his family and friends so deeply affected. We thank all of our first responders for their continued service.”
Block’s career has taken several forms over the decades. Back in 1994, he co-founded DC Shoes, which he later sold for a lucrative payout in 2004. After selling his fashion brand, he launched an action sports career as a rally driver and later as a YouTube star. Within five years of getting behind the wheel of a rally car, Block was winning awards and medals. During the decade between 2006 and 2015, Ken Block earned five X Games medals in RallyCross.
Ken’s tragic death has hit home hard for his wife, Lucy, and their three children. Block’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Lia, also risks her life as a rally driver. Last year, in 2022, Ken raced with his wife Lucy and daughter Lia in the American Rally Association Championship.