Thief steals Block helmet in Las Vegas

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Courtesy photoBlock is offering a reward for his missing helmet.

In Sin City, it's a case of hooligan against hoonigan. Mr. Hoonigan, you're not in the City of Angels anymore.

A thief stole Ken Block's one-of-a-kind $1,800 helmet. The scene of the crime was Block's race trailer in Las Vegas last week. The reward for the return of the helmet is a ride with Block. The Gymkhana star's head armor was a custom paint job by Troy Lee Designs.

"Troy worked directly with Ken on the design," said Karen Sorenson, Paint Department Assistant Manager for Troy Lee Designs. Sorenson said painting the helmet took 40 hours of work.

This was not a case of mistaken identity. The orange-splashed black helmet has "KEN BLOCK" written in block letters across the front.

Block only had a few months with his new helmet. He first used the helmet for his mechanical-failure laden 2011 X Games 17 showing in Los Angeles. "Legendary Troy Lee Designs have been doing my helmets for a while now," wrote Block on Facebook at the time, "I think it came out amazing. Thanks, Troy."

"It's hard to attach a dollar value to it," said Matt Tuccillo, Communications Coordinator for Ken Block's Monster World Rally Team. The culprit made off with tools and spare parts as well. The team reported the theft to Las Vegas police.

If the reward goes unclaimed, perhaps Block could turn his rabid fans into helmet-seeking missiles with a contest: Tips leading to the helmets return earn Gymkhana 5 front row seats for rubber smoke inhalation.

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