What's new
By:
Filters

Ken Block Dies

I heard 50/50 about him being cool/asshole, but I also heard that he wasn't actually a fan of being the center of attention in front of lots of people. Somewhat introverted as others mentioned about racers. So that could explain some negative perceptions of him.

He definitely lived life to the fullest and loved his family. I couldn't think of a better way to live after selling a company in your early 30s and becoming set for life. I gave him occasional crap for crashing out of rallies, but he was also in all motorsports purely for the love of it and the marketing genius aspect cannot be ignored. He will be missed by many, many people.
 
AA80BB8C-958C-458D-8035-DF960AC67D9C.jpeg


Okay now I know I’m definitely going to hell.
 
Sounds like he was riding uphill, sled wheelied backwards over him, pinning him in the snow where he suffocated. Similar situations in videos below.



 
Southernfriedcj8 said:
Until KB died, I didn't even realize this was a thing.

Why don't they carry shovels if this is not uncommon? :idea:
Click to expand...
We (at least me anyway) carry shovels but I think you may be underestimating the density of snow and your inability to move once buried in it

ETA- there are inflatables that inflate to give breathing room if an avalanche buries you but not sure it would have been useful in this situation.
 
This was on Facebook this morning. It may explain why he was a dick sometimes. I thought it was interesting, not a fan boi he may have been an ass.

"My first time riding with Ken Block. I had no idea what to expect. I knew we’d go fast, but we hadn’t even left the parking lot yet! There were vintage F1 cars next to us! Vatanen’s pikes peak car… and we had just a few feet! I assumed Ken was having fun banging on the rev limiter but then he dropped it into gear!!! I was like ohhhh man, these tires better not hook up!!! We just rotated. Ken knew what he was doing. I did not. Look at my face!
•
That week at Goodwood was special. It was my first time writing too. Jalopnik’s staff was booked so they asked Ken if he’d take a chance on me going with! So oddly Ken started my writing career. He could have easily said no and found a different outlet.
•
I had no idea what I was going to write so I spent a lot of time asking Ken what it was like to be him. What’s his day like? What do these race weekends feel like? I got different answers then I expected. So I asked if I could try to feel it too… Ken just looked at me and smiled. He knew where I was headed.
•
Next think I know, I’m dressed just like Ken Block! Hat. Glasses. Firesuit. And Ken starts laughing. I think it was the first time I truly heard him laugh too. He’s always so serious. But this was hysterical. The two of us standing in his RV, dressed exactly the same and laughing hysterically. A near mirror image.
•
As I went to open the door Ken made a comment like “don’t forget this was your idea…” for a second I was worried. But what’s the worst that could happen? I’m at a car race… the best part was Ken changed so he could follow along and watch! It makes me so happy that he got to see what happens if he just walks a into a racing crowd!!!
•
It was nuts! First it was pulling. Like for my hat. Then I felt like they were going to pull the sleeves of the fire suit when the pulling switched to pushing as people saw the commotion and crowded in. I kept making progress but eventually it was just too much. I couldn’t move. I gave up. Pulled my hat and glasses off and yelled I’m not Ken!!! What an experience, for both of us!
•
I already miss you Ken. Thank you for letting me into your life. It was really special being your friend. You have no idea. Thank you. ❤️"
 
Southernfriedcj8 said:
I was thinking of shovels for the rescuers. Hands didn't seem very effective.
Click to expand...
Ah gotcha, completely agree. There's a video floating around of a guy hitting a tree and falling down the void in the snow that formed around that tree and it took a lot of people with shovels to get him out. They barely got to him in time and they were right behind him :eek:
 
Southernfriedcj8 said:
I was thinking of shovels for the rescuers. Hands didn't seem very effective.
Click to expand...
Everyone who rides carries a breakdown shovel. But even having that scoop doesn't do a lot of you're buried in 3' of fresh snow. It doesn't take long for fresh snow to turn to packed once its disturbed. Goes from fluff to near solid in a matter of a few minutes, depending on temperature, water content, etc.
If you're in an avalanche, the best thing you can do right as you stop moving from the slide is get your arms around your upper body and make as much movement as possible, creating an air pocket around you. That literally saves lives till rescuer's come with probes.
In Ken's case, probably happened a few minutes ahead of fellow riders, and with the sled on top of him, no air pocket. It's amazing how fast you suffocate under snow.
 
1981K20 said:
Ah gotcha, completely agree. There's a video floating around of a guy hitting a tree and falling down the void in the snow that formed around that tree and it took a lot of people with shovels to get him out. They barely got to him in time and they were right behind him :eek:
Click to expand...

Tree well, tree shelters area directly under it from snow, and snow builds up around tree. Easy way to disappear under a couple feet of snow.
 
Sandy Johnson said:
If I were Avengers main character rich sitting in my fancy house in the sierras in the middle of a huge snow storm, I would definitely be drunk by the time I decided to break out the 7 ton snow cat and drag cars around for fun.

Also I'm pretty sure the only way to get in one of those while its rolling is up and over the moving tracks. That's some Most Extreme Elimination Challenge shit right there.
Click to expand...
Darwin:flipoff2:
 
Fwiw youtube shows him on his back snd talking so I doubt he suffocated on snow, crushed lungs maybe.
Rip 43
 
1981K20 said:
We (at least me anyway) carry shovels but I think you may be underestimating the density of snow and your inability to move once buried in it

ETA- there are inflatables that inflate to give breathing room if an avalanche buries you but not sure it would have been useful in this situation.
Click to expand...

Seems like a crap load of people have no idea about any of this. :shaking:

Go sit in your living room put on a helmet, lay on your back and have someone stick 400 pounds on your torso. Then try to move around and see what that feels like. Now imagine your blind and running out of breathe.
 
Pat McRotch said:
I understand this. In my little bit of racing, I didn't want to talk to ANYONE. Just leave me in my "zone"
Friends and family called me a dick because I was standoff-ish but really I was just keeping my mind right
Click to expand...
A guy who is a good friend of mine… now. Remembers the first time we met very differently than I do. Guy I’d never met, says he built his 4500 Jeep after reading my thread at the old place. He shows up at his first race ever and wants to come introduce himself to me. I don’t even remember the meeting but he says I pretty much snubbed him and blew him off. I remember meeting him at another place later when I wasn’t pre-occupied and now we talk all the time.

Ironically I feel like I did the same thing to 2big bronco. I’ve been wanting to meet him for years and he came to a race to see us. Just as luck would have it everything was assholes and elbows the whole event. I did get to meet him, his kids and talk them for a few minutes. Hope I didn’t leave a permanent bad first impression there. But when you’re the driver of record every second is a countdown to something coming up on the schedule. Drivers meetings, pre run time, line up & stage, make adjustments before the next stage. It’s easy to get the blinders on and focus on the tasks in front of you while missing the other stuff around you. I’ve met many pro drivers and depends on what part of the day it is you might as well be meeting a brick wall.
 
JR4X said:
A guy who is a good friend of mine… now. Remembers the first time we met very differently than I do. Guy I’d never met, says he built his 4500 Jeep after reading my thread at the old place. He shows up at his first race ever and wants to come introduce himself to me. I don’t even remember the meeting but he says I pretty much snubbed him and blew him off. I remember meeting him at another place later when I wasn’t pre-occupied and now we talk all the time.

Ironically I feel like I did the same thing to 2big bronco. I’ve been wanting to meet him for years and he came to a race to see us. Just as luck would have it everything was assholes and elbows the whole event. I did get to meet him, his kids and talk them for a few minutes. Hope I didn’t leave a permanent bad first impression there. But when you’re the driver of record every second is a countdown to something coming up on the schedule. Drivers meetings, pre run time, line up & stage, make adjustments before the next stage. It’s easy to get the blinders on and focus on the tasks in front of you while missing the other stuff around you. I’ve met many pro drivers and depends on what part of the day it is you might as well be meeting a brick wall.
Click to expand...

Not at all but its funny you see it that way looking back. You didnt seem standoffish at all, and if anything I was making an attempt to keep things short and sweet knowing how much you had going on.
 
I think the issue most people have with Ken block were the stories of him being an asshole seem to mostly revolve around him being that way to kids or younger fans. There is at least one Rob Pitts story (maybe, I watch a LOT of YouTube could be someone else) on YouTube about him disliking him mostly because of seeing him standing around doing nothing at a show and when a kid asked for an autograph he said no I don't feel like it and went back to whatever he was doing.
 
Mikenike said:
I think the issue most people have with Ken block were the stories of him being an asshole seem to mostly revolve around him being that way to kids or younger fans. There is at least one Rob Pitts story (maybe, I watch a LOT of YouTube could be someone else) on YouTube about him disliking him mostly because of seeing him standing around doing nothing at a show and when a kid asked for an autograph he said no I don't feel like it and went back to whatever he was doing.
Click to expand...
bingo:grinpimp:
 
Southernfriedcj8 said:
I was thinking of shovels for the rescuers. Hands didn't seem very effective.
Click to expand...

We all ride with shovels on our backs.

Powder is like water, and turns into cement. You can flail around and it just keeps flowing right back on you. Until it becomes packed and then you can barely shovel it, much less move in it.

I have stepped off my sled and sunk to my chest. The more I moved the more I sunk until I started getting it packed under me. I've had to do a pull-up on my running boards to get back on the sled.

I've also had to dig a hole you could comfortably park an f350 in to get to stable snow and get a sled launched back on top. It's a little erie being 6-7' deep in powder waiting for it all to sluff in on you, working around a 500lb machine.

Mountain sledding is one of those things you really don't do alone. You are completely reliant on your buddies if anything goes to shit.

Always good to have some young kids that can shovel like hell, but you still only have 2-3 minutes.
 
Nice update from Brian S at Hoonigan.

The thing that strikes me watching Block video's, is that he always appears to be having a really good time, laughing and smiling. But his biggest smiles are when he is interacting with his family, and especially with his dogs. I know some of the guys involved in shooting the later gymkhana stuff, and even during difficult times, the pikes peak shoot took almost two years with multiple blown motors, they will always mention Ken's "lust for life"

I think his words at the end of the video are especially poignant.

Hoonigan update
 
XtremeJ said:
Nice update from Brian S at Hoonigan.

The thing that strikes me watching Block video's, is that he always appears to be having a really good time, laughing and smiling. But his biggest smiles are when he is interacting with his family, and especially with his dogs. I know some of the guys involved in shooting the later gymkhana stuff, and even during difficult times, the pikes peak shoot took almost two years with multiple blown motors, they will always mention Ken's "lust for life"

I think his words at the end of the video are especially poignant.

Hoonigan update
Click to expand...
It made me think about some of the behind the scenes/making of videos they have done that last few years. Ken wanted perfection and could get grumpy about waiting. He also knew his team could take care of it and they had contingencies setup as much as possible. But it seemed within the circle, the lows weren't that low, but the highs were very high.
 
JohnnyJ said:
Just read that Hoonigan is bankrupt. That escalated quickly.


www.thetruthaboutcars.com

Hoonigan Goes Bankrupt

Hoonigan, which is known for its efforts in motorsports, automotive-related merchandise, and automotive media, is going bankrupt.
www.thetruthaboutcars.com www.thetruthaboutcars.com
Click to expand...
I heard they got bought out earlier and that company leveraged their name to cash buy another company. Basically Hoonigan got saddled with all the debt from a LBO as some kind of high end investment scheme.
 
JR4X said:
We’ve seen this kind of stuff happen so many times. The smart ones sell for a profit, buy it back for pennies and do it again. I’m really hoping them Adler boys can make 4WP awesome again.
Click to expand...

hes buying it back?

i know greg bought ORW which local flavor of 4wp that he was planning on building to run 4wp out of town.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh