If you hadn’t noticed, Carl Aikens has been killing it lately. We knew him as a young Santa Clarita ripper, getting hooked up by Chocolate and HUF. Then all of a sudden he'd moved to NYC, fallen in with the Gang Corp, and is turning heads coast to coast. He got the official nod from Chocolate, so it was time to get this dude on the phone. I caught up with Carl in his actual hometown of Chicago (before he moved out to sunny SoCal, Santa Clarita to be exact), to get the scoop on being young, chocolatey and living in NYC.
Interview by Blair Alley
So you had a Check Out and Video Check Out in 2018, and you were on Chocolate flow back then. When and how did you get on flow for Chocolate?
It was probably around that time, when the Check Out came out that they started flowing me boards. How it happened was, I knew Sagan Lockhart, because he’s from Santa Clarita. He connected me with Daniel Wheatley who was the Lakai team manager at the time. And they all kind of film everyone at Crailtap. Daniel connected me with John Marello, he’s the filmer and editor for Chocolate and Girl. That’s pretty much it.
Trent McClung wrote the write up for your Check Out, was Primitive ever an option?
Um, that was like an idea for me, but I never knew how to go about it. I met some of the Primitive homies like Devine Calloway, way back when I kinda started skating. I saw Trent a couple times. But there was nothing serious there, they’re just cool people.
How did Trent end up writing your Check Out then?
We were at the spot in Palmdale, these blue ledges, it’s the first clip in my Check Out part. I switch hardflipped this set of stairs, and Trent was there with the Primitive crew. P-Rod was there and they were just skating ledges. Trent was just super cool, we were all skating together and having a good time. He saw me switch hardflip the stairs, ever since then, we’ve been cool.
[Laughs] Nice. You were on HUF flow back then, what’s your shoe situation now?
Shoe situation right now, I'm flow for Nike through [Mike] Sinclair.
Then later in 2018 you had a part in Gutter with a very dirty fisheye.
Yeah, my friend Ram, his fisheye got a little dirty throughout the years.
Does he not care?!
I don’t know to be honest. I never thought too much about it. We just filmed it. I’m sure he knew [laughs].
Just keeping it gutter with a dirty-ass fisheye?
Yeah I think that was the whole point of the name, like the dirty fisheye, and Gutter, you know, dusty looking I guess. That was the theme of it.
So, when and why the move to NYC?
So, I was living in Santa Clarita, and I didn’t have a car at the time and it was really hard to get around. All the Crailtap dudes lived in the Long Beach area, or near like Wilshire and it was hard for me to get down there a lot. I’d just find myself stuck in Santa Clarita most of the time. It was super bumming me out. I just took a trip to New York for a week and I filmed a bunch of stuff with the Gang Corp filmer Naquan Rollings. I just met a bunch of cool people and we were just skating everyday. Just skating through the streets, filming a bunch. I went back to LA and found myself bummed out again. I put in my two weeks at work and I’m like, "I’m outta here."
Where were you working?
I worked at Hertz car rental. I worked full time.
Fuck that.
Yeah. It was cool. It was a cool experience. I’m glad I got to work there. I got to drive a bunch of cars.
How’d you meet the Gang Corp guys? Did you know them before you went out there?
Yeah, I knew the homies Alan and Dougie because they rode for HUF. They came to visit LA a bunch and I skated with them and Tyler Cichy, the HUF team manager. I hit them up when I went out to visit and everything happened really quickly. I met a bunch of people first day, second day I couldn’t remember anyone’s names. But that’s how I transferred over.
What are the biggest differences in skating on the east and west coast?
Shit, besides the fact that it’s just way easier to get around, it’s just like a big family in New York. You don’t have to go very far to meet up with someone. Everyone has good vibes and good energy. A lot of different personalities for sure, so that’s super fun to witness. They’re all motivated.
Who’s idea was it to use a Frank Ocean song in the CWC part?
[Laughs] That was my idea.
It’s sick. I fucking love Frank Ocean.
Yeah, that’s funny because I just did that on my phone. Naquan was like, “What are you doing? Let me edit it bro.” I was like ah, I don’t know, I’m just gonna edit it on iMovie.
You edited that part on your phone?
Yeah. Worked out I guess.
Is that big double set Ollie at the Met? Is it a NBD?
That’s in Harlem and I’ve never seen anyone do it.
Did anyone in New York tell you it’s a NBD?
They’ve never seen anyone do it either. We just pulled up and that thing is fucking crazy. I was actually scared to do that.
Yeah? Biggest thing you’ve ever Ollied?
Yeah, for sure. Biggest, longest, like I’ve never gone that fast on my skateboard to do a trick. I was full on sprinting. Shit was kinda scary.
What’s it like hanging and filming with Matt Schleyer?
Damn that’s surreal. Because skating with Matt and meeting Frankie and Suciu, and Suciu is like in my top three favorite skaters. So I feel like I’m blessed to have the opportunity. Matt’s super sick, super nice, he’s always down to film, he’s a great filmer. It’s just surreal to be honest. From doing almost nothing everyday, I mean like I would go skate in Santa Clarita, but just like going to New York, doing something every single day. You’re always doing something. So, it’s a big change.
Are you working out there?
No, I’m not actually. I’ve managed to get this far without working.
Are you getting paid from skating?
Ah, Chocolate, yeah. And I did some shoots with HUF, so I’m surviving off that shit. And I have a roommate.
Are you living in Brooklyn?
Yeah, like Bed Stuy. It’s a cool area.
Did you find out you’re fully on Chocolate with the ad?
No, let’s see… I think Smyth just called me one day. It was after the tour we just went on to Toronto. He just called me and I was freaking out, like Sam Smyth is calling me. I was just staring at the phone. Sam Smyth just doesn’t call you [laughs]. He said he wanted me to work on shooting an ad, and said that everyone was stoked on me, and yeah, he told me to get that fucking ad [laughs].
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And you went out and shot it with Heikkila right?
Yeah and that was super last minute. The weather was getting really shitty in New York and I was about to fly out to LA and that was our last day to get something. I was trying another trick but I broke my board trying it. Matt showed me the spot and it worked out. That spot was crazy.
Is that another NBD Ollie?
I think so.
Is it in the city, or is it out in Brooklyn?
It’s in Manhattan, it’s up in the 60s area.
Almost up in Seinfeld territory?
Yeah. It’s a crazy spot.
What’s so crazy about it?
When we got there, the runway is really narrow and short. It goes up into someone’s apartment complex, it’s like the roof of it. It’s tile flooring so it’s super slippery just to skate on it, and it was wet, the whole run-up. Schleyer went to some store and bought a bunch of paper towels. Some of the Gang Corp homies helped me dry it up. We had to wait for it to dry, and just rolling up to it was crazy, I kept slipping. But yeah, short run-up for a big Ollie.
Are you filming a new part right now?
Yeah, I’m filming for a Chocolate video right now.
Chocolate full length?
Yeah.
Damn, when’s that coming out?
I have no idea. We’re still planning some trips and everyone’s still filming. The Chocolate tour video should be coming out really soon.
From the Canada trip?
Yeah.
Are there any truths to the rumors of Jordan Trahan getting on?
Um, I have no idea to be honest.
Nice. That’s a good answer.
He’d be sick though. He’s a sick skater.
Before we wrap this up, who else is hooking you up?
So Chocolate and Nike, HUF apparel, Val Surf in LA, that’s my family, and Wayward Wheels. Andrew Brophy, I love Brophy, that’s his company. Brophy’s the best. And Cortina Bearings.
Nice, nice stable of sponsors right there.
Yeah, I’ve never named them all out before [laughs].
Stay up with Carl: @carlisleaikens
