Action Sport Legend Passes
IN
THE
WIND
P56
Ken Block
passed away in
a snowmobile
accident on January
2. He was 55.
PHOTO:
MONSTER MEDIA
A
ction sports and au-
tomotive racer legend
Ken Block passed away
on January 2, 2023.
Block was riding a
snowmobile near his
home in Utah when he
reportedly tried to navi-
gate up a steep incline
when it flipped over
backwards killing him. He
was announced dead at
the scene.
Block co-founded DC
Shoes in 1994 and sup-
ported such motorcycle
racers as Travis Pastrana,
Jeremy McGrath and
Ricky Carmichael. Block
and his business partner
Damon Way later sold DC
Shoes to Quicksilver at
which time Block turned
his attention to rally car
racing, as did his good
friend Pastrana.
Pastrana wrote on Ins-
tagram: "Ken was a lot of
things to a lot of people,
but first and foremost he
was an amazing family
man. In all the times I've
seen him on top of the
podium, I've never seen
Ken as genuinely happy
and proud as he was this
year, rallying alongside his
wife and oldest daughter.
Ken was the heart of Rally
in the United States. The
impact he had and will
continue to have in our
sport is larger than life.
To me, Ken was a friend,
a rival, a mentor, a boss,
a business partner and
a fellow family man who
was more proud of show-
ing me pictures of his kids
go-karting than he was
of himself doing a world's
first in one of the many
"coolest cars known to
man" that he regularly
drove the wheels off. Ken
lived his life to the fullest.
Cut too short like so many
of the greats before him.
Rest in Peace, buddy. You
will never be forgotten."
McGrath said, "We
have known each other
for 35 years, I have wit-
nessed your passion and
drive to succeed and do
it with style. You have not
only been my friend but
someone who I looked
up to as a father, mentor,
businessman and giver.
You meant so much to all
of us and you set the bar
high."
Block was 55 years
old. He is survived by his
wife, Lucy, and their three
children, Lia, Kira, and
Mika.
CN
