Ken Block
He turned precision driving into a global viral spectacle, building a digital empire of tire smoke and gravity-defying stunts.
1967–2023 (age 56)·American rally driver·Birthday: November 21·Generation X
Biography
Ken Block was less a traditional racer and more a master showman who used the automobile as his canvas. Co-founding the skate and surf brand DC Shoes, he brought an action sports mentality to motorsport. His genius lay in the 'Gymkhana' video series—short films where he would slide, jump, and destroy tires in a choreographed ballet of horsepower. These videos, showcasing unbelievable control in modified rally cars, became internet sensations, garnering hundreds of millions of views and making him a superstar to a generation that might never watch a World Rally Championship event. He built the Hoonigan brand into a lifestyle, embodying a rebellious, skillful, and spectacular relationship with cars that transcended sport.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ken was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ken Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Ken's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2023Died at 56
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the action sports apparel and footwear company DC Shoes in 1994.
- Created the massively popular 'Gymkhana' video series, with the first installment released in 2008.
- Competed as a factory driver in the World Rally Championship and the Global Rallycross Championship.
- Founded the Hoonigan Racing Division, a motorsport and media brand.
Did You Know?
He held a world record for the longest distance of a continuous vehicle drift in 2016.
Before rallying, he was a competitive snowboarder and skateboarder.
His custom-built, 1,400-horsepower 'Hoonicorn' Mustang became one of the most recognizable cars in the world.
“I'm not a professional race car driver. I'm a professional fun-haver.”
