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The motorsport world woke up Monday to the terrible news that rally racer, motorcyclist, DC Shoes co-founder and Hoonigan/Gymkana video producer (and driver) Ken Block died while operating a snowmobile on January 2nd. He was 55 years old.
According to a press release from the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook, who identified Block as the deceased, Block was riding his snowmobile with a group but was off on his own when his snow machine apparently flipped over while traversing a steep hill, and landed on top of him. 911 was called and first responders pronounced Block dead at the scene. An official cause of death is expected to be released soon. The sheriff’s report did not say how exactly the accident took place. Again, the report states he was off on his own away from the group. A post on the Hoonigan Instagram page confirmed Block’s passing.
Block was a consummate wheelman as anyone who watched his Hoonigan/Gymkana video series can attest. The video series has billions of views of Block piloting ever more insane four-wheelers through ever more elaborate set pieces that included jumps, stunts, flips, power slides, controlled drifts and even highly technical pinpoint car control sequences. His car control talents were not surprising for an accomplished rally racer, but Block was also an experienced dirt bike rider and racer, as his Twitter post from August 2021 below clearly illustrates:
Getting more confident riding my moto bike. I have ridden dirt bikes (mostly on tracks) since I was 12, but didn’t ride for 15 years because I was racing rally (a bit scared of getting hurt and not being able to race). pic.twitter.com/JrLGCaTuFV
— Ken Block (@kblock43) August 23, 2021
Clearly, not a beginning rider, and clearly, despite meticulous preparation, Block was not opposed to taking chances, as illustrated by a nearly disastrous power slide around a turn (at the 5:10 mark) while ascending Pike’s Peak in his 1,400 horsepower custom Ford Mustang. Other stunts in his many videos could have had disastrous consequences had they gone wrong as well.
Racing was a family affair for Block; his wife Lucy and his teenage daughter, Lia, 16, are both rally car drivers; Lia in particular seemed to have inherited the family gene for mashing the loud pedal and pushing vehicles to the limit. I interviewed Block and Lia via video in 2021 about her racing career for another publication, and Ken’s pride while listening to his daughter describe her excitement while behind the wheel was clearly evident. His last Twitter post, on the day he died, was of Lia standing before an Audi project car.
Our thoughts are with Ken’s family at this time. Rest in Peace, Ken Block.
The post Hoonigan Founder Ken Block Dead After Snowmobile Accident appeared first on Adventure Rider.
