Never Stop Driving #32: Ken Block, the Driftmeister
Ken Block’s death last weekend in a snowmobile accident is a huge blow. I’m gutted for him, his family, and for us. Through his Gymkhana videos and racing, Block brought the joy of driving to millions of new fans.
His first Gymkhana video debuted 14 years ago. The four-and-a-half-minute film featured a Subaru sliding around airport runways that I immediately recognized as part of the decommissioned El Toro Marine base near Irvine, California, where I routinely tested cars. During one previous visit, I had noticed wild, curlicue, dark black skid marks on the concrete. Somebody had had some crazy fun! The driver and the purpose were a mystery until Block’s video came out.
Block’s videos captured exactly what I’d do with a car and empty pavement given unlimited funds to shred tires. Unlike so many movie chase scenes that clearly rely on Hollywood special effects and trickery, Block’s films were so obviously real. As a practitioner of the driving arts, I also admired Block’s devotion to the craft, an ability to make a car do things that 99 percent of people have no idea are possible.
Championship rally drivers slide cars with equal skill, but Block’s genius was wrapping the maneuvers with creative visuals. His romp through San Francisco blew me away. I’ve watched every video multiple times and I advise you to binge the behind-the-scenes documentary series called The Gymkhana Files. You’ll get a better understanding of the dedication, stress, and simple hard work that went into making the videos, and also see Hagerty’s Matt Tuccillo, who worked on the films and now directs Hagerty Media’s video efforts. Block’s videos were audience benchmarks such that when our Stovebolt six engine rebuild video blew past 40 million views, we celebrated that we’d hit “Block numbers.”
Block’s talents included car design. He had the eye, knowing what looked right and what didn’t. I don’t think any vehicle, driven in anger, matches the punch of the Hoonicorn, a turbocharged four-wheel-drive drift car that’s styled like a vintage Mustang. Brilliant. Block also combined his right-brain imagination with left-brain business sense. Before the car world knew him, Block founded DC shoes and sold it to Quicksilver in 2004.
He was a generational polymath, a driver I admired from afar. We lost an inspirational figure, an ally in our efforts to promote and celebrate driving. I wasn’t lucky enough to know the man, but Tuccillo spent a decade with Block and said, “We worked together around the globe executing everything from races to brand activations to Gymkhana projects and despite the time zone differences and workload, he always made sure to prioritize his wife and kids by either bringing them along or FaceTiming home. He did as much for automotive enthusiasts as the billion-dollar Fast and Furious franchise, but with zero CGI. Block was a great father, driver, and friend who’s gone too soon.”
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A beautiful tribute, Larry.
Thank you!
For all you snowmobilers, I am wondering, what can we learn from Ken Block’s fatal ride, and also, in regards to handling fuel, what can we learn from Jay Leno’s recent fire and his bodily burns? Is there anything we can take away…what went wrong?
AMEN! Well said.
When I was young, one of the first YouTube videos that I watched was Ken Block, drifting. I was decently new to cars and had no idea that cars could do something like that. It was like magic. Block had some kind of magic or nine lives to do everything he did. To quote Paul Walker: “If one day the speed kills me, do not cry because I was smiling.“
Much love to his family.
When I was young, one of the first YouTube videos that I watched was Ken Block, drifting. I was decently new to cars and had no idea that cars could do something like that. It was like magic. Block had some kind of magic or nine lives to do everything he did. To quote Paul Walker: “If one day the speed kills me, do not cry because I was smiling.“
What confidence (justified) he must have had in his own ability to hurl that monster around on the edge of such drops. I was biting my nails just watching. Hats off to Toyo too for making tyres that could stand up to such abuse.
well written
It’s a reminder that we are mortal, and we have an end date….that we aren’t usually given in advance.
Ken was one of those that lived the dream. He gave us an OUT from our dreary day’s work. I’m going to miss him.
Take the message folks…live. Give it a try. While I may never reach HOONTOPIA I’m going to have a lot of fun trying!
I had the pleasure, as did countless others, of watching him live at SEMA. Even in a Vegas parking lot, seeing his skill and technique, it was a thrill that I’ll never forget.
Great article Larry. This was a well deserved tribute to someone who helped us all enjoy motorsports even more.
I live in Utah & it’s all we have been talking about since this happened. We live close to where his family lives and I can only imagine how they feel. He was the greatest at what he did so well & will be sorely missed.
Thank you for memorializing Ken Block! I had no idea he was a part of something else like shoes! If you go to their webpage (DC Shoes), there is a great photo of him there in tribute. Thanks for dedicating your weekly letter just to him.
We are all so sad about. Thanks for reading.
The Ken Block San Francisco “trip” really is epic. My goodness gracious the man had incredible talent. Just goes to show enjoy the time you have and do not put off something until “someday”. As Joe Fogarty (CCR) sang, “Someday, never comes”.
His presence will be missed. I pray for the family at this time.
RIP Ken. I second the recommendation to watch ‘The Gymkhana Files”. Excellent series.