View Full Version : How Ken Block built a brand:
CrAzY_kAyLL
19-11-10, 02:06 AM
How Ken Block built a brand: The story of DC Shoe Co.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1196.snc4/154886_462173415764_139454585764_5840184_4141338_n .jpg
http://www.snowboardcanada.com/features_article?news_id=1515&uniqid=1580
well worth taking the time out and reading how a simple idea turned Ken Block from rags to riches - The bit that made me giggle most was
“So even as I grew up and was getting older and became a snowboard bum in Colorado, I had cars—like a Volkswagen GTI—that I would go out and trash at night in the snow, and basically imitating what I saw the pros do in the videos.“
thats a good read, shows he has alot more under his belt then his rally stuff,
should keep some of the "i hate ken block" people quiet.
I got as far as this
Now he’s reinvented himself by launching a second career in rally racing and shaking up another industry along the way.
then LMAO'ed and closed the article
CrAzY_kAyLL
19-11-10, 12:24 PM
try reading it Jack and you would find out he actually admits he aint got a clue when it comes to Raylle driving and has taken on the challange because he now has the money to do it as it's been a childhood dream - Also that he is been coached by some of the best raylle drivers going - You gotta start somewhere aint you
I learn a lot about him and how he has become a house hold name from reading it
the whole rally thing is just a bought seat.
so he's like a minardi driver, just a moving chicane.
try reading it Jack and you would find out he actually admits he aint got a clue when it comes to Raylle driving and has taken on the challange because he now has the money to do it as it's been a childhood dream - Also that he is been coached by some of the best raylle drivers going - You gotta start somewhere aint you
I learn a lot about him and how he has become a house hold name from reading it
obviously didnt learn much, such as how to spell his "new" (current) career lol
hes a waste of space, but might bring the yanks/moron kids into liking rallying though.
D C Shoes made him what he is now, not the other way around.
On a different note, FLOL at your avatar Mike, wasn't working yesterday and I was wondering wtf it was all about lol
On a different note, FLOL at your avatar Mike, wasn't working yesterday and I was wondering wtf it was all about lol
Yea I did LOL too, I dont know who changed it but I have a very good idea who it might have been lol lol
obviously didnt learn much, such as how to spell his "new" (current) career lol
hes a waste of space, but might bring the yanks/moron kids into liking rallying though.
why is he a waste of space,
i think he is a very clever man. he created a massive shoe company which like said has made him. and now he is branching out.
i think your jelous of his success, because you think someone "only making a shoe company" is a lame way of making it, and now he is enjoying his self in rallying.
Honk honk...
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/wiggardywoo/articualted.jpg
the crazy owl is nothing to do with me though lol
Pistol Pete
19-11-10, 03:16 PM
He has done/is doing well for himself. Full respect for that.
the whole rally thing is just a bought seat.
lol its the way things go now. Look at F1. He has bought a seat in rallying, so what??!! Its another advertising campaign!
why is he a waste of space,
i think he is a very clever man. he created a massive shoe company which like said has made him. and now he is branching out.
i think your jelous of his success, because you think someone "only making a shoe company" is a lame way of making it, and now he is enjoying his self in rallying.
lmfao what an epic reply.... are you actually KB. You ,ust be in the way that 'defence' was written.
Hes a waste of space on the rally stage, would have been a better statement perhaps....
If someone made loads of cash selling nasty shoes to muppets then fair play, better marketing person that I'd ever want to be. But to then go and get in the way of others doing their job is another thing entierly imho
Pistol Pete
19-11-10, 03:25 PM
lmfao what an epic reply.... are you actually KB. You ,ust be in the way that 'defence' was written.
Hes a waste of space on the rally stage, would have been a better statement perhaps....
If someone made loads of cash selling nasty shoes to muppets then fair play, better marketing person that I'd ever want to be. But to then go and get in the way of others doing their job is another thing entierly imho
Drivers set off at least 2 mins apart lol jeez have you ever watched a rally ;) :roll: :p
If someone made loads of cash selling nasty shoes to muppets...
<waves> hi... lol
Its pretty common for seats/works cars to be sold in rally teams etc afaik, Endurance racing is based almost entirely on privateers buying works/high specced GT cars, are they getting in the way of the professional drivers too? lol
Drivers set off at least 2 mins apart lol jeez have you ever watched a rally ;) :roll: :p
2mins isnt long when you are slow as funk and everyone else is fast lol
120 seconds soon disappear when your on your roof with the SOS board up lol lol
CrAzY_kAyLL
19-11-10, 03:37 PM
Well considering it was his first year ever doing it I think he did rather well - You have to learn how to walk before you can run as they say :roll:
Put all them rally drivers in a Gymkhana contest and lets see how well they can do at that ?
Put all them rally drivers in a Gymkhana contest and lets see how well they can do at that ?
There bound to do ****, there not stunt drivers :confused:
There bound to do ****, there not stunt drivers :confused:
Oh the irony of that quote makes me laugh contradiction at it best
There bound to do ****, there not stunt drivers :confused:
I dare say most would do alright as they know how to control a car.
iirc mr mcrae did rather well at it on his first go out lol.
plus isnt the gheyhat gymcarna practiced over and over and over again so its always 'right'
Oh the irony of that quote makes me laugh contradiction at it best
Explain away please :confused:
If youve ever driven a competition car you'll know your not sitting in the hot seat to show boat & **** around. Your in it to win, that is all.
And just to add, the reference to "do ****" was merely in comparision to Mr Block, being as he designs the layout of his stunt tracks & practices them about a thousand times before hand.
CrAzY_kAyLL
19-11-10, 04:16 PM
iirc mr mcrae did rather well at it on his first go out lol.
plus isnt the gheyhat gymcarna practiced over and over and over again so its always 'right'
Not taking anything away from Mr Mcrae but it wasn't like he was up against anyone who had done it before and infact wasn't it the first time it had ever been done as an actual event ? please correct me if am wrong I just remember seeing it in the X-games all them years ago and them saying it was the first time it had ever been done in the X-games though I might be wrong
but like you said they have to do it over and over and over again so it's always right just like Ken is having to do with his rally driving as yet again it's a total different way of driving - Give it a while and I bet he is up there in the top 5 - Not to mention he is the first American rally driver is he not ?
Dont you just love a good debate on a Friday :d
Travis Pastrana (sp?)
Edit: And John Bufman (think that was his name?) used to do the SCCA events.
CrAzY_kAyLL
19-11-10, 04:24 PM
Yeah he came second but he was more famous for his motorcross free style skills but took up the challange as well as seeing if he could win another gold medal - He came second to Mcrae
He is also now joining nascar next year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9vJjPOq ... _embedded# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9vJjPOqlaI&feature=player_embedded#)!
hope he dont try and do a double back flip in it
paddy138
19-11-10, 05:25 PM
i think ken blocks latest video took 3 months to create, im not going to read the article as im too lazy, but my brother is currently working for m sport and is working alongside with him, he says hes basically a very smart man who got bored and decided to start doing the stunt driving etc, he is also supposed to be pretty nice guy aswell, fairplay to him, hes rich owns a few businesses, and now is doing something which he enjoys and is making money out of it, i dont know how he will do in the wrc but id say he will do farly ok, he did ok on his first few runs, top 8 was his best i think, as for holding people up i cant see that happening
Well considering it was his first year ever doing it
Fail.
I do see WHY he was in WRC, mainly to try and weasel it into the US market. Not sure how successful thats been as I've not really kept up on the current season.
iirc mr mcrae did rather well at it on his first go out lol.
plus isnt the gheyhat gymcarna practiced over and over and over again so its always 'right'
its almost like its a sport, and he is starting at the bottom.
and for doing it over and over, what does a sprinter do, a gymnastic, a footballer i could go on.
and i used to/ still do buy his shoes, i used ot buy them 6ish years ago when i skated, and i never knew who he was.
tbh if i was him and i could buy a seat so to speak, i know i would give rallying a shot.
also, i wouldnt be suprised if KB owns monster drinks, and many other companies he uses.
he probably has a hand in the "nitro circus" show, which is directed by jeff tramane (sp) who does jackass, so if its right, he has his hands in alot of pots...
I think the main problem everyone has with him is, he's american.
nuff said.
lol, i think you lot still hold a grude from Trax a few years ago when there was an annoying commentator!
What Lee said, and the fact that all of the gymkhana showboating stuff is pratcised and practised and then (possibly) editied together. There's more skid marks from previous attempts than in the film Taxi! lol
Practise is fine, but it's when all the nuggets think he is some driving god that could do that in one attempt at a circuit he is unfamiliar with when it starts to get annoying. See Youtube comments for that. lol
I can't see why folk are hating him so much, the guy made money off his own hard work, then made more money / got exposure from dicking around doing all the gymkhana stuff.
All the gymkhana stuff is paid for out of his own pocket, if you lot had the money to do it, i'm sure you all would !
All the WRC stuff is paid for by his sponsors and is just a massive PR stunt, the crowds he pulls and the following he has in the WRC is probly as big, if not bigger than the drivers like Hirvonen / Loeb / Solberg ect ... he,s not in it to win the world championship, its all about getting the 'brand' out there, and obviously having abit of fun in the process. As folk have already said he doesn't claim to be the best rally driver in the world, fair doo's he's not exactly setting fastest stage times but he hasn't done that bad considering it was his debut season.
I'm sure you'll see a lot more of Ken Block / Monster in the WRC in the future.
debut season??? he's been thrashing round in the states for years in pretty much old group A imprezzas...
top flight rallying is all about self control. when racing drivers usually try rallying, they take out most of the scenery, the biggest skill a rally driver has over a racing driver is restraint.. they have incredible car control.. check out giles panizzi's donut in the middle of a stage on the most popular corner for spectators, and he had it in the pace notes... it is only a couple of seconds, but it is awesome
As much hate as everyone has for him, if i was in his shoes i would not turn down the opportunity to do exactly what he does. I would love the chance to be able to make and fund the gymkhanas. Plus imo although the gymkhanas are practiced over and over and no doubt edited together, by releasing his videos he is marketing dc and there products, especially the ken block dc range. (ps i love dc shoes :p)
CrAzY_kAyLL
19-11-10, 11:26 PM
Jack you have FAILED with your FAIL :p
anyway seen as how gymkhana been debated so much here is a video that explains to all that dont understand it what it actually is and what it's all about
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ACHQUNiqtI
Pistol Pete
20-11-10, 10:53 AM
its almost like its a sport, and he is starting at the bottom.
and for doing it over and over, what does a sprinter do, a gymnastic, a footballer i could go on.
and i used to/ still do buy his shoes, i used ot buy them 6ish years ago when i skated, and i never knew who he was.
tbh if i was him and i could buy a seat so to speak, i know i would give rallying a shot.
also, i wouldnt be suprised if KB owns monster drinks, and many other companies he uses.
he probably has a hand in the "nitro circus" show, which is directed by jeff tramane (sp) who does jackass, so if its right, he has his hands in alot of pots...
KB doesnt own Monster. They are going head to head with Red Bull in the sponsorship game. He also has an involvement with Nitro Circus as DC shoes sponsor TP.
Jack you have FAILED with your FAIL
I think Jack was referring to it being his first year in rallying. He has been doing it in the states for a few seasons now IIRC.
danderv
20-11-10, 11:22 AM
Fcuk me there is some jealousy out there!If i made millions then i would have a go at rallying as well and probably be **** at it too but it would be my money and i wouldn't give a **** what some people on a nova forum said about me.If we all had money then i am sure we would all have a stab at some form of driving or another would we not?
CrAzY_kAyLL
20-11-10, 11:34 AM
He still failed with his fail if that is the case because am on about it been his first year in the WRC which we all know is totally different and a lot harder from any other rallying that happends around the world
Just like the F1
He still failed with his fail if that is the case because am on about it been his first year in the WRC
http://www.wrc.com/drivers-and-teams/drivers/ken-block/?whoid=1
WRC Debut:Rally New Zealand 2007 (P-WRC)
Whoops. Actually, even before that he entered in Mexico that year but as a privateer.
Dayyyyyyyummmn! Somebody rush him to the burn unit! lol
Skate shoes and the scene that comes with it has no place in rallying IMO. I see why he does it, why not from his POV.
I prefer to see Pastrana putting Scoobies on their roofs than Block mincing about on airfields. :)
I think an American input would totally change the sport (as in management, not driver/teams), as they'd want to gloss it all up.... advertising, promotion, make the events more audience-available rather than standing in a wet welsh field....
Damn. You stole the muddy/wet Welsh field bit before I got in. :(
I fully agree. Rally GB would never be the same. I find it funny how America has just recently got the Fiesta, I wonder how many have realised that it IS possible to rally a car when it is not the size of a small house and has handling to rival a cross-channel ferry?
CrAzY_kAyLL
20-11-10, 01:25 PM
Still think you have failed in your fail Jack as he did one race the rest have all been in the X-games or the American raylls totally different from spending a hole year in the WRC doing all the races they do around the world dont you think :roll:
Not to mention how even the WRC are saying how this is his first year in the WRC as a full time WRC driver ?
doing all the races
Nay, he only did 7 races this year, so not a full season of all the races.
And as said, the WRC site lists his debut as 2007.
.... voice of experience here....
my wifes uncle, a texan, living in miami, likes his cars.....
i was visiting them a few years back, and we were watching the speed channel... now jack would love the speed channel, as there are tons of muscle cars on there, and documentaries about the people who made them great... they also show foreign motorsport... we were watching a round of the british rally championship, the sort of thing that gets put on motors tv etc.... they were showing in-car etc.. and he thought it was utterly crap... now you must remember the americans have BAJA racing.. they build off road monsters that have 750+hp mid mounted v8's & suspension travel that is measured in feet, these things weigh a couple of tons & have roll cages that make f1 & nascar look soft.
as great as rallying is, the yanks have more room than we do, and they like to get there very fast in a straight line....they are into sheer speed, they don't care for twiddly corners...
they have the same problem with f1.... back in the glory days of indy cars, they had cars lapping at 220-230mph... the same year at the detroit gp, they had an average lap speed of 85mph... the yanks really don't get it.. now there are a lot of fans of f1 & rallying in the states, but they are either the anglophile middle classes who own old british sports cars or imigrants from latin countries.
your average 'yank' wants oval racing, be it tarmac or dirt, because they are used to watching it, and it is simple thrills. watching a wrc round is an ordeal , getting up at god knows what time to watch each car once, then move on to somewhere else.... yanks don't see the point, hence the x games is perfect for them...
Dirt track racing is fapping ace!
On a side note, does anyone else watch Heartland Thunder on Quest (9pm Fridays) (Follows a couple of small town low budget teams & there families through the ups an downs of privateer dirt track racing in 550hp buggys)
Dirt track racing is fapping ace!
On a side note, does anyone else watch Heartland Thunder on Quest (9pm Fridays) (Follows a couple of small town low budget teams & there families through the ups an downs of privateer dirt track racing in 550hp buggys)
I've seen the adverts but I just can't stomach americans for too long, they make me itch.
The only american show like that i can watch is American Chopper, but even then its mainly because Mikey is so entertaining.
Its not to bad TBH Lee, well worth watching IMO if your into crazy **** like that lol
American Chopper is fapping ace, Mikeys comedy is pure genius lol lol
later ones are pants though.
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