TONY HAWK:

Our world of action sports is collectively mourning the loss of Ken Block today. My sincere condolences to his loved ones. He was a pioneer with talents that transcended our world, bringing skate fashion into the mainstream through DC Shoes and helping to legitimize rally car culture through his peerless driving.

I have many fond memories of Ken through the last three decades, especially in the early ‘90s when we were both struggling to get by during skateboarding’s lull. Ken hustled and never lost sight of our core ethos: to push lmiits and carve our own paths, while giving new opportunities to a passionate community of misfits.

These images are from the last time I saw him; a year ago we shared a helicopter on an epic powder day in Utah, which became a spontaneous celebration of how far we’d come and a chance to show off our shredding skills among friends and family. The last video is a fitting metaphor for Ken: he dropped into unknown territory with speed, grace and confidence, leaving us inspired to do our best on our own descents as he deftly disappeared into the trees. Thanks for showing us the way, Ken.

TRAVIS RICE: 

Ken, thanks for believing in me…

The guy led with a unique will to manifest great ideas into reality! Too many projects to name and a radicle family for the win! Fun was his MO and an easy smile with how much I’m sure was always on his plate.

Casual resort pow laps in Japan a few years back. The good life. @pierrewikberg, really appreciate the 📸… You live on with all of us.

Selema Masekela:

Last week, December 28th. I had a 3 hour delay at Salt Lake City, Airport en route to Spokane. I posted about it in my stories and got a text from Ken that said, ‘me and the family are about to land at SLC, so maybe your delay isn’t so bad’. Their plane just so happened to pull into the gate next to where mine was boarding. We got to hug and laugh and have a beautiful catch up. We promised to makes some time to shred together this season and hang proper. As you can see in this picture with his family, Ken was beaming pure light. He reeked of love and content.

In my 30 years of friendship with Ken Block, he was never not smiling. He lived 10,000 lives. Influenced skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, motocross, rally, motor sports in general and ripped at all of them. He lived to play and relished in the joy of seeing others have all of the fun too. The more successful he became, the more he made it a point to hold the door open and create opportunities for others to do the same. I personally would not be where I am today professionally if not for the interest Ken took in me. He saw me when I didn’t even see myself.

I’m sure there are endless humans that have a similar story of Ken Block. He was that dude. I can’t believe you’re gone brother. Cried my eyes out tonight and will cry a lot more.

You did a lot of rad shit. But above all your incredible successes, what I’ll remember the most is how you made people feel. Rest In Absolute Peace and Power @kblock43 💔🙏🏾❤️

DANNY WAY:

It’s hard to write this because our story together could be like writing many chapters of a book. I feel so blessed to have been able to be so close to @kblock43 at such a young age especially when I needed so much guidance in my life around the time we met. Ken was like an older brother to me and eventually became one of the biggest mentors I’ve ever had especially after we lost @miketernasky. I know Ken learned so much from M.T as we all did but Ken saw my venerability without Mike in my life and saw the opportunity to bring out my all my potential but he become that anchor and sounding board that I needed growing up. I’ve looked up to Ken throughout my whole life and he always did things in way that I admired so much, honestly it made me jealous that I didn’t have his wisdom, abilities and skill sets. Ken was a great family man, the most amazing brand visionary and marketing master on the planet as anyone who knows him would agree. Ken and I were such a strong team together especially when it came to executing my crazy stunt ideas in return driving big campaigns and product stories for @dcshoes. Ken was in control of the marketing budgets and always down to bet on me, he had so much faith that I would always deliver. In the beginning, the story of building DC financially wasn’t easy so this kind of my experimental risk taking marketing could of sank the company without success. Ken always wanted to lead with risk taking marketing never thinking about revenue as the driver, his mindset was authentic knowing the money would come if we stayed true and led with our genuine passions. He didn’t see it as a risk because of our confidence together. What Ken has done with his own driving career clearly defines how gifted he is on so many levels and how his mind ticks, Ken led such an amazing life, he did so much for so many and his influence/ influential power is beyond words. Ken has done so much for my family and such an amazing uncle to my kids! Our families are very close and I could never thank him enough for how much love he has shown us over the years. My heart goes out to Lucy, the kids and the entire Block family
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Rob Dyrdek

My heart is broken 💔 Thank you for being such a good friend, mentor and inspiration in my life for over 30 years. I don’t know who I would have become without your support and guidance over the years . We went from drinking 40oz and gambling for quarters to revolutionizing the skate shoe game and turning skate video skit to a TV career. Every single idea I ever wanted to do you believed and helped me make it happen. When you stepped away from DC to pursue Rally I couldn’t have imagined how much of impact it would end up having on motorsports. Truly the only person in the history of sport to build and sell a company that promoted the worlds best athletes then become a super star athlete himself. It is why you are beyond all other legends in this arena. I was always so proud of who you became and so honored to be so close to you. We did so many amazing things together over the years that I will cherish forever . I am so grateful that we we able to get together and have dinner last month. I just can’t wrap my head around that being our final moment .I am just so grateful that I got to hug you good bye one last time.

My deepest condolences to the entire Block family .My heart hurts so deeply for Lucy ,Lia ,Kira and Mika because I know how much love and life there was yet to experience