Pro rally driver Ken Block, a prolific figure in the racing community, was reportedly killed in a snowmobile accident on Monday.
The co-founder of DC Shoes, an American company that specialises in footwear for action sports including skateboarding and snowboarding, Block moved into the rally world and quickly became famous.
Block, who became a sensation with his daring stunts behind the wheel, also developed the Hoonigan brand and the much-loved Gymkhana video series.
“It’s with our deepest regrets that we can confirm that Ken Block passed away in a snowmobile accident today,” Hoonigan said in a statement. “Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and a husband.”
Block, 55, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was reportedly riding on a steep slope when the snowmobile upended and landed on top of him in Utah’s Wasatch County.
He started his rally career in 2005 and was well-known as Rookie of the Year in Rally America Championship. He also competed in the World Rally Championship and won several medals at the X Games.
In 2016, Block appeared in an episode of the BBC’s rebooted Top Gear, driving around London with actor and host Matt LeBlanc.
That appearance was not aired because of a controversy that he and LeBlanc performed wheelspins and burnouts up and down Whitehall in the vicinity of memorials, including Cenotaph.
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