Action Sports Icon, Ken Block Dies In Snowmobile Accident

Normally this time of year as we welcome in the New Year, I like many other people are thrilled with the ideas of what's to come. However, this New Year isn't off to a great start. News broke on Monday that action sports, pioneer, legend and icon, Ken Block had passed away after a tragic snowmobiling accident close to his home in Utah.

Before I go any further, let me explain what "action sports" are to those who may not know. Action sports are sports that many have seen during the year when X-Games rolls around. Sports like skateboarding, motocross, snowboarding, etc. Ken Block had experience in numerous actions sports fields like skateboarding and snowboarding but he was most predominantly known for his success as a champion rally car driver. In his career, Block founded the "Monster World Rally Team" his own rally car team which competed numerous times in the World Rallycross Championships as well as numerous other rallycross organizations worldwide.

Block and his team were only successful because of their skill, but their skills also allowed to reach incredible levels of social media fame. His Youtube channel has amassed hundreds of millions of views worldwide, his most popular being his series of "Gymkhana" videos that expertlety displayed Block's incredible control behind the wheel.

Aside from those accolades, Ken Block also had a tremendous impact on the culture of the action sports world. He was a co-founder of DC Shoes, which was established in 1994. This was huge for me, because in high school the only shoes I wore were DC's. Myself and all of my closest friends all wore some variation of DC shoes or some type of skate apparel. They were as common as wearing a plain white-T. Later in life Block would sell off his ownership of DC and then went on to start "Hoonigan Industries" a clothing brand for motosports fanatics.

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Ken Block amassed himself an incredible career and his loss is a devastating blow to the action sports world. Hoonigan released a statement on Block's passing...

 

Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband....He will be incredibly missed.

Condolences go out to the entire Block family and everyone affected by this tragic event.