It's been more than a decade since Ken Block demonstrated his deft car control as few on the planet can for the first time like a maestro who's coaxing performance out of an instrument. One month shy of the 12th anniversary of the very first Ken Block Gymkhana video we take a look back at the video that started it all featuring the exceptionally talented tire-shredder taking the automotive world over with a smoky storm.
The First Gymkhana Had Humble Beginnings
Every Gymkhana video features the episodic number associated with it except the very first one. Known simply as "Ken Block: Gymkhana Practice", it doesn't feature the wild splash and panache of later productions. There are no helicopters, no Golden Gate Bridge, or any other flashy locations. It doesn't even feature a Ford, his current automotive partner. It's just a wide-open, seemingly abandoned airport. What it does have though, are some incredible driving skills on display.
Featuring the same Subaru WRX STI rally car he recorded his first-ever rally racing victory in, Ken takes to the makeshift course with what would seem to many as reckless abandon. As Block pilots it out of the main hangar, it's easy to be swept into a fervor at the distinct boxer rumble of the 530 horsepower engine burbling loudly as it trundles down the pavement.
A Tried And True Format
The first shocking act is Mr.Block going from what could be triple-digit speeds into a full 90-degree slide as he makes what looks to be a 180-degree turn, all the while the full-time Subaru all-wheel-drive claws at the surface of the runway, clamoring for traction. As with all Gymkhana videos Ken slowly raises the stakes throughout the film. From sliding through tire barriers one after the other he demonstrates his balance of the car and his ability to effectively manage the weight transfer from one direction to the other.
He then moves onto donuts and considering how exacting he proves to be perhaps we should call them artisan donuts, the most expensive and exquisite of their kind. As he circles a building and then a pylon you'll notice how this monster of a Subaru can easily navigate the course despite being seemingly pointed in the wrong direction most of the time. That's due to the all-wheel-drive platform that Block is so notorious for using in all his Gymkhana videos. Without it, these incredible videos simply wouldn't be possible. Even the famed Hoonicorn was a full-time all-wheel-drive pony car.
Ken then circles a person who's slowly piloting a Segway, a stunt he calls back to in Gymkhana Six where he does the same thing only with his new Ford Fiesta ST. He finishes off the video with a full 360-degree slide through a building at full-speed. This stunt can't be pulled off at low speeds making it all the more impressive as he dodges the entry and exit points of the building. Finally, he concludes with an exceedingly tight donut in a very small box before pulling back into the hangar.
Gymkhana One's Lasting Legacy
There's no question that this video sparked the legacy that we all know so well today. It's said to be one of the most successful viral videos ever and we can't disagree. Through ten separate Gymkhana videos that have progressively become more and more thrilling, we've come to appreciate the masterful driver that Ken Block truly is. While Gymkhana Ten was the final one in the series, he's continued to grow the brand with ClimbKhana one and two, The Gymkhana Files, and most recently TerraKhana where he demonstrates similar driving techniques in natural environments. What's perhaps most amazing is that it all started 12 years ago on a tiny abandoned airfield with a shouty little Subaru.