• 

  Courtesy of DC Shoes.

Press Release:

 

 

KEN BLOCK AND DC SHOES ANNOUNCE THE UPCOMING RELEASE OF GYMKHANA FIVE, PRESENTED BY THE FORD FOCUS ST

 

JUNE 18th, 2012 – Huntington Beach, California – After much anticipation, Ken Block and DC Shoes are proud to announce the coming of Gymkhana FIVE, which will debut globally on Monday, July 9th at 10 AM EST via the DC ShoesYouTube channel.

 

Filmed on the streets of San Francisco, California, Gymkhana FIVE builds on the previous successes of the Gymkhana viral video series and it’s 140+ million views.

 

“My idea for Gymkhana FIVE was simple,” said Block.

 

“I wanted to build on the ultimate playground concept from Gymkhana THREE, and bring the franchise back to that raw and fast feel that the earlier videos had. I’ve always wanted to film a Gymkhana video in a city and there are few places as unique and iconic with such amazing topography as San Francisco. While movies like Bullit and various chase scenes have tried to use San Francisco to the fullest, I’m pretty confident that I’ve proven there was a lot left to be done on those amazing streets!”

 

Without question, the streets of San Francisco make Gymkhana FIVE the most unique project to date in the franchise’s history. And for good measure, a few world records and a surprise guest have been thrown in too.

 

Making a return for the second year in a row is Block’s Ford Fiesta H.F.H.V. racecar, which can be seen slaying its tires on the streets of San Francisco globally on the July 9th release date. For select media and action sport VIPs, DC will premiere the video on Friday, June 29th during Summer X Games 18.

 

For additional information on Ken Block, DC, and Ken Block’s GYMKHANA franchise, please contact Maria Boschetti at mboschetti@dcshoes.com or 714.889.2834 and visit www.dcshoes.com/auto.

About DC

Founded by Ken Block and Damon Way in 1994, DC quickly grew to a leader in performance skateboarding shoes and renowned action sports brand. Today DC stands as a global brand whose product line has expanded to include men’s, women’s and kids’ skateboarding and lifestyle shoes, apparel, snowboards, snowboard boots, outerwear, and accessories.

 

As one of the cornerstones of its marketing strategy, DC has built a world-class team of professional skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, BMX, motocross and rally athletes that exemplify and enhance DC’s brand, develop its signature products, and support its promotional efforts. DC is a subsidiary of Quiksilver, Inc.

About Ken Block’s GYMKHANA franchise

The Gymkhana series of videos started in November of 2008 when Block released a video entitled DC Shoes: Ken Block Gymkhana Practice. Block had built himself a gymkhana-specific car for a Southern California gymkhana series being put on by local organizers in attempt to get more seat time doing rally-style driving after becoming a professional rally driver in 2005. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled before Block’s car was finished.

 

With a gymkhana-specific car built and nowhere to run it, Block decided to go out and have some fun, filming the results. The final product, GymkhanaPractice became a runaway viral success and has since spawned four more videos, the latest being Gymkhana FIVE. With over 140 million views and counting for all of the videos, the series continues to be the leading viral

About Ken Block

Ken Block’s rally career began in 2005. His skill and car control became quickly apparent and Block aptly nabbed Rookie of the Year in the Rally America Championship. Since then, Block has continued to race in the series, boasting a healthy ten overall wins, in addition to numerous podium appearances as well as X Games medals.

 

In addition to his performance in the car, Block has been adriving force in shedding light on the sport within the United States. His keen branding and marketing acumen has allowed Block to achieve global fame as arally driver through his wildly successful viral videos, which include his record-setting jump for the TV series Stunt Junkies, hisscenes in the DC snowboard video Mtn.Lab 1.5 and spy footage of his Subaru TRAX STI project in action, along with his Gymkhana videos.

 

Ad Age named his “Gymkhana TWO” the No. 4 Viral Video of 2009 and his “Gymkhana THREE; Part 2 Ultimate Playground; l’Autodrome” the No. 6 Viral Video of 2010. At the start of 2012, Gymkhana FOUR: The Hollywood Megamercial was named the top-shared viral add of 2011 by Marketing Magazine Australia. In January 2010, he formed the Monster World Rally Team and signed with Ford to become the first American to campaign in the World Rally Championship, becoming only the second American to ever score points in the WRC during his inaugural 2010 season.

 

Additionally, his signing with Ford included campaigning domestically in racing (Global RallyCross, X Games and Rally America), as well as continuing to do gymkhana. Block co-founded DC Shoes, a worldwide leader in performance skateboarding shoes and a renowned action sports brand.