How does one even begin to process utter tragedy?
This extreme sport community, our surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding etc. is small by any standard. Those here who grew up hustling to the beach, building plywood mini-ramps in driveways, clipping tickets under icy skies have experienced a very similar thrill and likely played across all fields.
And, so, surfing mourns alongside snow and moto today in the revelation of Ken Block’s unexpected death, killed in a snowmobile accident near his Woodland, Utah, home.
The 55-year-old was integral to our space, competing as a pro skateboarder and snowboarder and co-founding DC shoes before going on to mass motosport fame.
He was a legend, bigger than life, making his shock death, hours ago, that much greater.
I knew Ken a little bit through the wife.
We went snowboarding in Japan together on a family trip, one winter, and he was funny, engaging, a wonderful father. My young daughter was immediately drawn to him and he’d pick her up, flip her in the air, give her a taste of that extreme life.
It’s gut-wrenching to think of his family now.
How does one even begin to process utter tragedy? To have a gaping hole so violently ripped into the fabric without warning? There’s some small consolation, I suppose, in the aforementioned smallness of our community.
The family nature, and mourning, of a shared bond.
Heartbreaking. Sending prayers and love to his family. Huge loss and he will be missed.
RIP – one of those instances you see a guy seem unbreakable!!
Public loss will be felt , but the private loss of a family man with 3 kids so sad even if he lived it to the full
condolences to all
RIP. Lots of snow forecast for the next two weeks. Stay safe.
A true icon of the era of pushing the limits. It is really grounding when you start to see people you looked up to start passing away especially friends and family. Make sure you spend every moment doing stuff that is important to you and it enriches you and your families life. We give away our time to easily for nothing.
“We give away our time to easily for nothing.” — Something that took me far too long to learn.
Super sad. Never knew him but always appreciated his infectious enthusiasm when watching his videos. Need more of that. RIP.
That’s terribly sad to hear. Condolences to the family.
True story: when I got my first pair of DCs in year 8 I though it was all one word, pronounced ‘dicshouscousa’