On April 3, 2024, Chris “Gunny” Gunnarson pictured Ken Block teasing him from above. Even with the 700-plus people who attended the inaugural National Ken Block Day at Woodward Park City—in honor of the late rally driving legend—Gunny, one of the event organizers, was certain the event would fall short of his long-time friend’s high expectations.

“Ken would have said, ‘You should have done this better,’” he jokes of Block, who passed away in Park City from a snowmobiling accident in January 2023 at the age of 55. “But he would have actually really appreciated it too.” 

A perfectionist label is fitting for Block, who was a renaissance man. He co-founded the iconic DC Shoes brand, became an X-Games rallycross medalist, and later, reinvented himself as a YouTube motorsports sensation with his Gymkhana video series. While his impact as an entrepreneur, influencer, and action sports superhero was transformative, he was known around Summit County as a neighbor.

“All the things I’m interested in doing, I can do right here [in Park City],” Block, a native of Long Beach, California, told Gunnarson.

Block, along with his wife, Lucy, and their three kids, lived in a house at the base of Park City Mountain. He was regularly seen around town walking his dogs or taking his kids to Woodward. His Hoonigan Racing Division headquarters was in Park City, and his legacy will continue to have strong ties to the local community.
Shortly after Block’s death, Lucy Block and friends, including Gunnarson, started the 43 Institute Ken Block Foundation. The name references his racing number (“DC” are the fourth and third letters of the alphabet). The nonprofit creates opportunities, such as mentorship, skills development, and mental health support, for the next generation of action sports, motorsports, and creative arts talents who often lack resources.

“Lucy was really adamant pretty early on that we have to do something to honor his memory, and do it in a way that will be meaningful to others,” Gunnarson says.

Going forward, the annual National Ken Block Day block party on April 3 will be the primary driver of fundraising. At the inaugural event, there was a snowboard jam, the “Hoonicorn” (a 1965 Ford Mustang shooting fire), and live painting. Gunnarson promises next year will be more over the top with more daring motorsport stunts. He knows that more money needs to be raised for deserving youth. He also knows that he can never attach the Ken Block name to anything without living up to his famous friend’s standards.

“We’ve already set the bar pretty high,” says Gunnarson. “And [Block] would always want us to go higher. So, that’s what we got to do.”