Why Ken Block, The Co-founder Of DC Shoes, Was So Significant To The Skateboarding Community
It's with heavy hearts that we share the dreadful news of DC Shoes co-founder - Ken Block and his recent death. Ken died in a snowmobile accident near his home in Utah on Monday. We are all devastated by what has happened to such a treasured legend. But what Ken accomplished in skateboarding and beyond will be admired for years. He helped out too many skaters to even begin naming.
The original Block fans remembered him as the youngster from Escondido, California, who lived on an avocado farm. His parents accidentally dropped him into the heart of the early '80s skateboarding madness when they brought him there from Long Beach. He was surrounded by a group of athletes who would someday be professionals in their respective sports. But all of that would change because of the friends he established there.
Ken spent the equivalent of a hundred lifetimes in his 55 years on earth. He made it his goal to maximize each and every day, and regardless of whether you're aware of it or not, there's a good chance youre a fan of Ken Block. The diversity of the man's accomplishments and the legacy he leaves behind are so broad that, even if you only knew him as the dude that slides cars around in those videos, I'm willing to bet he's had a bigger influence on you than you think.
Ken Block and Damen Way (older brother of Danny Way) founded DC shoes in 1994 in Vista, a small town in the San Diego area of California. In 2004 they successfully sold DC (Droors Clothing) to Quicksilver for $87 million. From that day forward, the company was officially named DC Shoe.
"Ken Block was not only the co-founder of DC but also the personification of everything our brand stands for. Confidence. Creativity. Innovation. Pushing Boundaries. Colliding Worlds." This is what DC Shoes stated on their site yesterday.
As his fans, sponsors, colleagues, friends and family all continue to express their emotions through social media posts, we can only stand in solidarity as we send our deepest condolences to the Block family and all those close.
