“Our World of Action Sports Is Collectively Mourning”: Heartbroken Tony Hawk Pays Tribute to 55-Year-Old Legend After His Death in Crash

Published 01/03/2023, 3:40 PM EST

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Ken Block, the American professional rally driver and the co-founder of DC shoes, unfortunately, met his demise in a snowmobile accident that took place in Wasatch County, Utah. In honor of Ken Block, Tony Hawk shared a heartfelt post on Instagram, remembering and celebrating the Gymkhana star and offering consolatory words for his family on this sad occasion.

The motorsport competitor and driving video pioneer Ken Block’s unfortunate passing is deeply saddening. Block was a sportsperson, and an entrepreneur rolled into one. He co-founded the action sports footwear brand DC Shoes and competed in American rally championships, the World Rally Championship, World Rallycross, and the Classic Safari Rally as well.

Tony Hawk gives tribute to Ken Block

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On this sorrowful occasion, Tony Hawk took to Instagram to share his homage to Ken Block. He put a group photo as well as a video where Ken Block is seen skating alone on icy slopes with the utmost skill.

In the caption, he wrote, “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.”

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Not only this, but he also recalled some special memories from their time together. He recalled how in the early 90s he and Block were struggling due to a lull in skateboarding, but Ken Block was always there to support him. Hawk remembers how Block never let go of his core values, even though he was going through a difficult time. He mentioned in his caption, “Ken hustled and never lost sight of our core ethos: to push limits and carve our own paths, while giving new opportunities to a passionate community of misfits.

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Hawk also mentioned how far he and Ken Block had come together and that he was proud of the skills they acquired on their journey. He then shared a video of Ken Block who is seen skateboarding through the snow effortlessly and wrote, “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.”

Other tributes to Ken Block

Besides Tony Hawk, other friends of Ken Block also took to social media to give their respects. The English television presenter and automobile journalist James May posted a tweet with an old video of Ken Block being airlifted.

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Ex-Top Gear host Matt LeBlanc called him a ‘True talent and friend’ and expressed his sorrow on the fact that Ken Block had been taken from the world too soon. Lewis Hamilton, from the Formula 1 racing family, also called him a dear friend and paid his respects after the tragic demise. While Hamilton has been staying off social media, he came forward to honor the memory of his friend.

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The demise of Block has left a lot many people with broken hearts. What do you think about this tragic accident that took away a precious life?

Watch this story: Tony Hawk, Magic Johnson and more: Here’s how these athletes turned into big entrepreneurs

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Written by:

Apoorva Behl

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Apoorva Behl is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. She has a Master's degree in Law from the Indian Law Institute, New Delhi. Besides being a lawyer, she has a passion for reading and a penchant for writing.
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Edited by:

Tony Thomas