Rally driver and YouTube star Ken Block had an "epic" Christmas break with his family in Canada, just days before he died in a snowmobile accident on his Utah property.
On Monday, Block, 55, was riding a snowmobile up a steep slope in Wasatch County when the vehicle upended and landed on top of him, according to the local sheriff's office. Block was pronounced dead at the scene.
Shortly after Block's death, a statement was released on the Instagram account of his clothing label Hoonigan Industries, calling the sportsman "a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed."
Days before his death, Block took to Instagram and Twitter to share a series of photos from his family's Christmas visit to Baldface Lodge, a ski resort property in British Columbia's Selkirk Mountains.
Among the images were snapshots of Block posing with his wife, Lucy, and their three children. As well as spending time in the cozy warmth of their luxury accommodation, the family also went snowboarding, per the Instagram post.
They were also seen watching a fireworks display, while Block showed pro snowboarder Jamie Lynn placing a star atop a Christmas tree, and added a playful photo of Baldface Lodge co-founder and CEO Jeff Pensiero.
"Merry Christmas from the Blocks, from Baldface Lodge!" Block captioned the post. "Here's a photo dump of some of my fav shots. From the amazing snow, to the incredible hospitality of Jeff Pensiero and his family, to watching Jamie Lynn scale the rafters to install the star on the tree, to watching my kids get better and better at shredding... it was an epic holiday trip. Hope you all had a great holiday!"
After settling back into life on his Utah ranch, Block shared a trio of photographs showing a range of vehicles covered in dense snow as he explained how they helped maintain his property and keep his surroundings safe.
"This is how some mornings at my ranch in Utah look this time of year—freshly coated with snow!" Block captioned the December 29 post. "Luckily we have the Ski-doo sleds, @CanAm Mavericks (one on tracks!) and Defender, and the Kubota machinery to dig us out and keep the property maintained."
Block's final TikTok post, shared shortly before his death, showed the vehicles at work as a voice off-camera was heard saying that the show was "getting deep out there."
"It's been DUMPING snow in Park City, Utah this week with more forecasted for the weekend, and we wouldn't be able to make it out to the ranch without the Ski-Doos and @kubotatractorcorporation machinery to clear the way!" Block wrote in an accompanying caption. "Can't wait to see how much more powder stacks up over the next few days!"
Block, who co-founded the skate-wear clothing brand DC Shoes, had been a competitive rally driver since 2005.
He was named Rally America's Rookie of the Year in his inaugural season and went on to scoop rallycross medals at the X Games. He also achieved podium finishes at the World Rallycross Championship.
Throughout his career, he also competed in other high-octane sports, including snowboarding, motocross and skateboarding.
The sportsman achieved immense popularity through his YouTube channel, where he shared multiple videos of himself performing daring stunts in a number of different vehicles. His channel has 2 million subscribers.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
