Rally racer and Hoonigan co-founder Ken Block
Rally racer and Hoonigan co-founder Ken Block died in a snowmobile accident. He was 55 years old. An official statement from Hoonigan said: “It is with our deepest regret that we confirm that Ken Block passed away today in a snowmobile accident. Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and a role model. And most importantly Thing, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed.
The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office also issued a statement confirming that Block was “riding a snowmobile down a steep slope when the snowmobile fell on him”.
Auto enthusiasts will fondly remember Block for his Gymkhana video series. The extreme sports ace began his racing career in USA’s Rally America series in 2005 and later competed in the World Rally Championship. He then went on to race in Global Rallycross and the FIA World Rallycross Championship.
He continues to compete in American Rally, and most recently lost the 2022 title to Brandon Semenuk by a small margin. His daughter Lia and wife Lucy also raced as part of the Hunigan team.
In 2021, Block teamed up with Audi for a series of projects focusing on electric mobility. The first of these collaborations resulted in the Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hunitron electric drift car, which Block took for a high-speed adventure through the Las Vegas Strip.
Beyond the automotive world, Block was also an accomplished entrepreneur, having co-founded the successful skate shoe company DC Shoes in 1994.