He was there, making video after video, building car after car, and then he was gone. Unexpected and devastated don’t even come close to describing how many of us felt when we heard the news that Ken Block, co-founder of DC Shoes, WRC Rally Driver, GRC Rally Driver, Hoonigan Founder, Carcaine Founder, partner of Fifteen52, Gymkahana master, and Hoonigan himself, had been killed in a tragic snowmobiling accident. We had just wrapped up the Holidays, and we were gearing up for a new year, with new political drama, a war in Ukraine, uncertain economy, and so many day-to-day stressors when we were blindsided by the news. I’m sure many people had the same reaction as me when we first read those tragic words; ‘It’s just another celebrity death hoax, stupid scammers…’ I thought to myself. When I googled it right after someone shared a screenshot with me, I couldn’t find anything.. and about 2 mins later, someone else said that TMZ had confirmed it. That made it very real, and very confusing.

I could read the words of what happened, but nothing was computing in my head, it might as well had been jibberish. It just made no sense at all. I tried to continue on with whatever it was I was doing on my computer, but I just found myself sitting there in my computer chair as if someone had shut off my brain and I was just in a constant processing loop in my head about what happened. It took two hours for me to snap out of the daze I was in. I messaged an acquaintance of mine that works at Hoonigan and sent him the screenshot of the news, and I pleaded, “Please tell me this is fake. Tell me it’s another stupid hoax…”. He responded after what seemed like an eternity confirming the news I had still held out hope was fake. I was almost literally beside myself, with one side being completely dumbfounded, and the other in a mode to reach out to those close to him that I know to send my condolences. I realized shortly after writing a few words of sympathy, that I was really writing words of empathy. This was hitting me way harder than I thought possible. I barely knew Ken! I’ve met him at least three times that I can remember, had several conversations with him, worked with him once, but I don’t think he’d remember my name. Why was this so deeply numbing?

Ken Block was more than a face on the computer screen. He was solely responsible for an entire generation of automotive enthusiasts, including myself. He didn’t just pique my interests in cars, he designed an entirely new car culture that I had happily been a part of without ever realizing it. I drive a small Ford hatch, because of Ken. I wear DC Shoes, because of Ken. My entire career in photography and graphic design is heavily influenced in the styles that Ken was responsible for creating. He was a one-man-machine that fueled a new excitement in car culture. We lost our icon, and we weren’t ready to let him go. I’m not ready.

It has been almost a week and I’m still in disbelief. My facebook wall and instagram feed are packed full of #KB43VER posts remembering different chapters of Ken’s life and influence. I see works of art from all over the world inspired by Ken, including myself with the Drip Livery Art I made seen here. Now that artistic mindset has turned this grief into a mission. P12 will now become ZX43, a tribute to one of my favorite liveries of Ken’s from his classic Ford Escort.

This design spoke quite loudly to me when I first saw it. It’s one of the simplest designs to come from Ken’s garage, and I loved it. Let me be real here for a moment. I love all of them, including all of the non-Ford designs, but this livery felt like something I would create. The American flag across the hood, floating across a sea of satin black over the rest of the car made it stand out even more to me. The oversized Hoonigan logos across the doors and windshield are impossible to miss with its high gloss white over the satin black. And the rear… The rear with the tone on tone, gloss black Hoonigan scatter pattern over the satin black just gives it depth and forces you to look even harder at it. The white fifteen52 wheels set the stance that I don’t think any other wheel could do in this instance. This livery while clean, hasn’t gotten as much attention as many of the others because of how clean it is, but I love everything about it, and I need it.

I will be modifying P12 to match Hoonigan Ford Escort as closely as possible while keeping it street legal, and I’ll try my best to not go bankrupt in the process. I make it in honor of the man that has has so much influence on my personal and professional life. R.I.P Ken Block. #KB43VER

Ken Block’s Final Instagram Stories