PHOTO BY NATE REIMAN

What's up, Neal? Are you gettin' stoked for spring?

Ow, hell yea.

Are you staying around Minnesota?

I've got a lot of trips lined up.

Noseblunt Slide click to enlarge

Are you going to the Vancouver contest?

Yea, Iota's sending me.

Sponsors

Iota Skateboards, Supernatural Clothing, and Fobia Skateshop

No shoe sponsor?

I sent some videos to DC.

You send out 'sponsor me' videos?

Ow yea. When I was little I set a grip out. I'd send 'em and then call the company to see if they got it. I got some shitty sponsors that way. But I was stoked at the time. I became a legend because of a sponsor me tape I made one time. It was so whacked. It goes 'Neil Erickson' and then shows me flying across the screen on fire and then this air guitar kicks in like 'Wheuuuweeuuuuu...'

I've heard about that...

Yea, probably from Benji or Vang.

You skated for Roots before Iota, right?

Yea. They didn't do much with it at the time. Just got free decks and stuff. Did a few demos. Went to Bemiji. The trips were always fun.

Does Iota seem a little more together?

Well, it's new, but they're running ads in Slap and Thrasher and they're sending me to Van Couver for the contest. We're flying into Portland and road tripping it up to Van Couver.

Switch Backside Lipslide click to enlarge

How old are you?

19

Have you always lived here?

I lived in San Diego for six months.

What did you think about living there?

It would be a dope city if I wasn't into skateboarding. The scene out there is crazy. The first time I went to downtown San Diego every single ledge from chin high to ankle high ledges were skate proofed. There was a sculpture that was like a bank that people skate until the city put up a rail. So they'd skate the rail until they skateproofed that so they'd start inside the rail and hit the bank so they put these little metal railings like six inches apart for like ten feet around.

Did you ever skate the parks out there?

The parks out there suck. I skated Mission Valley like every other day. The bowl at OB would be fun if I were into transition. Every kid wears Osiris shoes. If you go to the skatepark you get the vibe that every skater is competing with you. All the kids try to one up each other.

Who do you like skating with up here?

Elijah, Chad, Ryan, Mike, Rob... Especially Elijah and Mike. Guys who ride the same stuff I do and I can feed off 'em.

Is the 3rd Lair getting a little stale?

Ow God... and I wasn't even here for half the year.

Do you have any other trips coming up?

Well, I've never been to New York or Boston. Ryan (Hansen) is moving to NY so I'm sure we'll go out and see him. Sissi's talking about doing a Supernatural tour but I'm not sure of locations. Midwest, East coast. I love taking road trips.

Do you prefer demos or contests?

I don't know. I haven't done a major contest yet. I do okay at 3rd Lair but, you know, your friends with everyone here so there's no presure whatsoever. I'd be stressin' at a big contest. They call your name in some big stadium and you know all the top ams are there and the reps and whatnot are all watching you. The very first contest at 3rd Lair, after my first contest run I almost threw up.

What else do you do besides skate?

I go to school at the U of M full time.

Do you still find fresh spots around the cities?

Ow yea, we found a lot of spots last summer when we were filming (Benji Meyer's Anonymous). There was this marble down at the U... Nobody had touched 'em. They were perfect. Like glass.

Switch Nosegrind click to enlarge

Did you have fun making Anonymous?

It was fun, frustrating, hard, and painful, but it was worth it in the end. It's one of the best independent films to come out. I think people are going to watch it and go, 'holy shit, where did these kids come from?'

Do you ever skate in St. Paul?

Yea, except there's like nazi cops running around there. Like Minneapolis cops will just say 'get out of here' but in St. Paul they'll take your board and give you an hour long lecture.

Have you ever been arrested?

Yup. Once for skating and once for urinating in public. My last night in San Diego there was this block kegger. I had to piss so I jumped this wall by the beach and started pissin' and all of a sudden there was this light on me- right on my dick. I'm just piss drunk. He says 'get over here' and I'm all, 'let me finish up'. So I zip up and he puts me in the squad car for like an hour.

Do you ever want to go pro?

Sure, if I had the chance. But I don't think I'm good enough. Skateboarding right now is out of control. The ams are doing insane stuff. People are doing 20 stair rails now, flip in flip out stuff...

Are you dating anybody?

Nope. No time for girls.

Are you gay?

Negative.

Sorry... I'm just lookin' for some controversy.

I could be fired, actually, there's some controversy for ya (from 3rd Lair). I was supposed to work today but I didn't know. Ted came in (owner) and opened the park cuz I wasn't here. Then Steve came in. I'm supposed to have a meeting with him tomorrow.

That's okay. Elijah's been fired before too and he still has a job.

He did the same thing as me.

What you think of 3rd Lair?

It's really good for the MPLS scene. 3rd Lair basically keeps the scene alive for half the year. It brings in demos, holds contests and skate camps. This summer they're setting up a park at the state fair. It's going to be crazy. The park gets kind of shit on by the MPLS skate industry for strange reasons. Why can't every one just get along!

Any last words?

Thanks Joe, Steve, Chad, and Rob. Shout outs to the ISC.

INTERVIEW & PHOTOS BY BRIAN PERRY