Action Sports Icon Ken Block Dies In Snowmobile Accident

Action sports icon Ken Block, a friend of many and inspiration for all in our community died in a snowmobile accident near his home in Utah on Monday. He was 55 years old and is survived by his wife, Lucy, and his three children.

“Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and a husband,” said Block’s company, Hoonigan Racing.

Block was traveling on a steep slope in Utah’s Mill Hollow area when his snowmobile upended and landed on top of him. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office. While Block was traveling with a group of other snowmobilers, he was alone when the accident occurred.

Block had a storied reputation as one of pro rally driving’s most daring and prominent drivers. His rally career began in 2005. He was named Rookie of the Year that same season at the Rally America Championship. Over the course of his career, he earned five X Games medals in addition to his numerous podium appearances.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the FIA, which oversees the world of motor sports, remembered Block as an “outstanding driver, entertainer and entrepreneur, but most of all he was a kind, well-mannered, humble family man who was solely focused on doing what was best for the sport.”

Having won over 25 national level rallies around the world, Block was recognized globally as a champion of the sport (as well as an icon in snowboarding, mountain biking, and other action sports) and the star of a social media franchise that attracted over 600 million views and nearly two million subscribers on YouTube alone. He is credited with expanding the popularity of rally driving among U.S audiences through his wildly popular stunt videos. Block also co-founded DC shoes in 1994, one of skateboarding’s most popular clothing brands.