The Baker crew has a talent of picking skateboardings future favorite’s at a young age. It happened with T-Funk, Kader and Rowan just to name a few, and after watching Baker Has A Deathwish 2, we have a feeling it’s going to happen again.

With the goal of cracking into the mind of this shaggy haired teen we hit up Vince to do his first official interview, one where we talk everything from attempted robbery to conspiracy theories.

Does it worry you that more people know your Instagram handle than your real name?
I remember, as soon as my friend gave me the nickname, everybody called me Chicken Little and it became normal really quickly. I’m 18 now, so maybe I’m too old, but I can’t ever change it. It’s a part of me. I do prefer when people call me by my real name though.

Where’s the nickname Chicken Little come from?
I pulled up to Centrale [skate spot in Milan] and a good friend of mine said it. I had this Polo shirt on, and with my hat and glasses he was like “Damn, you’re the real Chicken Little,” like the film. He pulled out a picture and everyone agreed. Since then, I changed my username and I never went back [laughs].

Chicken Little’s about an alien invasion, right?
Yeah, there’s pieces of the sky falling and nobody believes him.

Do you believe in aliens or other conspiracy theories? Is the earth flat?
There’s for sure something out there, but until I see something for real I don’t know what to think. I’m pretty sure we’re not alone. Conspiracy theories are always about dumb stuff. I remember after [Covid] quarantine ended a friend of mine told me the world didn’t feel real, and he thought it felt like a simulation. We joked about that for a while.

And then you eat shit on a back tail and remember it’s real life?
[laughs] Yeah, right when the pain hits.

Did you grow up in Milan?
No, I actually grew up in Germany. I lived there for ten years and then I came here. I didn’t know a single word of Italian. That was tough in the beginning. I’m sure if I hadn’t come here I wouldn’t be skating. I’d have a totally different life for sure.

How many languages do you speak?
I speak Italian, German, English and I’m starting to understand a bit of French. French is hard to pronunciate, but every time I visit my friends in Paris I start to understand more. I like that language.

When your parents are pissed at you, what language do they yell at you in?
[laughs] Both. It’s like a mix. We put some German words in Italian phrases. It gets all mixed up.

What’s something you’re going to hear in the house when this happens?
“Che cazzo fai” which means like “the fuck you doing.”

You started posting clips on Instagram super young, right?
When I started skating Centrale, around 2018, I was a pretty annoying kid. I used to ask everybody to film me, and there was a time when I was posting too much. Now I have so many archived posts. I just fucked with making edits on iMovie so much.

Are there any archived posts that make you cringe?
There’s so many. A bit embarrassing, but it’s cool to look back and be like “Damn, I’m so small.” I remember, just when I started skating, one of my first IG skate posts I did was like a boneless 180 flip variation and was like “I just invented the 180 boneless flip! Hell yeah” [laughs].

Are you worried about having to compete against Max Palmer to claim your last name?
I’ve thought about this before. I like Max Palmer a lot. I watched all the 917 videos when I was younger, and I was stoked on having the same last name.

Who’s this kid in your crew that looks exactly like you without glasses?
Nils [Matjias]. A lot of people have told us we look like brothers.

If you got hurt do you think he could film a part for you as a stunt double?
[laughs] Maybe if I give him my glasses he could take over for me.

Do you still live with your parents?
Yeah, I’m still in school too. I have to finish the last two months, but when I’m done I’m super down to travel a bunch. I’m not sure if I want to live in Milan since I’ve been here for so long already. The skate spots are limited and I want to skate something new. I would be down to spend some time in Paris.

Are you a legend at school?
No, I don’t think so. It’s funny, when I started skating I was the only kid with baggy pants at school. I was wearing these huge pants from this vintage market, and the teachers and kids were like “What the hell, you look goofy, are those clown pants?” and now everybody is following that trend. It’s all baggy pants at my school.

When those IG numbers were ticking up, did you ever consider dropping out of school and pursuing skateboarding full time?
That thought crossed my mind a couple of times, but I want to have a plan B if something doesn’t work out. It’s good to have a diploma. I didn’t want to risk it. Of course I want to pursue skateboarding as a living, but I need to have a back up plan.

That’s very mature of you.
Yeah, I don’t like going to school, but I do it for my parents and myself.

Who’s the one IG follow that had you most hyped?
The one I was going the most crazy over was Ishod Wair. I was like “Damn, the GOAT.”

Tell me about getting hooked up with Baker. How’d that come about?
In 2019 Andrew [Reynolds] and the whole Baker squad came to Milan to film some clips and I was just a small kid skating there. Andrew saw me do a kickflip or maybe a big spin down this two block and he put it on his story. I was so hyped.

I met them, and then they left. Then I did Rat Ratz 3, and after that was released, Andrew asked me if I was skating for any board brand. I wasn’t so he started sending me boards.

Who’s your favorite Baker skater of all time?
Rowan for sure.

What about skaters outside of Baker?
I’ve always been a big fan of Vincent Touzery and all the 917 videos. He has a super good style. Recently I’ve been really into Antwuan Dixon’s Baker Has a Deathwish part. I think that might be my favorite part of all time, at least right now.

What kinda music are you into right now?
I like Young Thug a lot. SahBabii, Future, 454. I remember first finding “Facetime” and “Late Night” and I liked that new style. It felt really original, and I just fucked with it. My favorite’s got to be Young Thug though.

Yeah, let’s talk about Thug, specifically the Young Thug tattoo you have.
[laughs] There’s this guy in Milan who does cool tattoos and he hit me up. I didn’t know what to get so I started looking at shit I really like. I’ve always liked the album cover of Jeffery, and I’m a big fan of the song “Wyclef Jean.” I thought with the style the tattoo artist has it would look good.

So you’re definitely free YSL?
Yeah, for sure for sure.

Do you have any hobbies outside of skateboarding that people wouldn’t know about?
I used to play chess a lot. I would go to tournaments and shit. I don’t play that often anymore, like only every now and then when friends come over, but there was a time where I was really serious about it.

What’s your chess rating?
800-1000 ELO on chess.com

Would you walk in a fashion show?
I would have to think about it, but probably, just because I remember there’s this one 917 video where Alex Olson walks in an LV show and it looked sick.

What did Stallion do for your following? Is the Strobeck effect real?
I think a lot of people got hyped on the Ratz crew after that. We really started going. It was the first really, really good video me and all my friends were in.

Have you been in any sketchy situations while filming?
There are some zones in Milan you don’t want to be alone, you want a big crew for sure. One time at a train station, a guy wanted to steal my chain, so he grabbed me, strangled me, threw me on the ground, and I was holding on to this chain refusing to let go. From that point on I’m more careful about where I go and with who.

Did you have PTSD after almost getting your chain snatched? Do you still wear it?
I definitely walk around with more caution. I pay attention to when I’m in a sketchy place or around sketchy people. I wouldn’t say I have PTSD, but I wear the chain inside my shirt now.

I saw you’ve visited New York before. How was your time here?
The first time I went it felt strange. I felt so small, and I remember it was hard to get clips. The second time we visited the hotel we stayed at was right in front of that slappy street gap spot. There were four people, one room. It was a rough two weeks. One person would always be chilling on the balcony because the room was so small.

What did you think of food in NYC?
Living in Milan, our standard for food is pretty high. We eat really well here. If you don’t know a good place in New York it’s hard to eat well and not spend like $30. If you know the right place it’s pretty good though. I remember I really liked the breakfast, like pancakes and bacon.

You got to hang in Strobeck’s apartment and see his infamous photo spot. How was that?
I thought it was going to be way bigger. When we went our crew was big, so everybody had to find a place to sit, like it was kind of tough. After seeing so many legendary skaters in that room, being there was sick.

Have you dabbled in cigs and coffee yet, seems like the Italian way?
No, no. I’ll drink a cappuccino, but I don’t fuck with cigarettes.

Who’s your celebrity crush?
What’s the girl’s name from the second Blade Runner? Ana de Armas [laughs].

Does Milan have the best ledges in the world?
In the footage it looks all good, but right now they’re all fucked up. They’re so curved and full of holes, but I love the sound of the marble for sure. We’re pretty lucky to have the plaza. Maybe we don’t have the best ledges in the world, but for someone who doesn’t live here, when they come here they might think they’re the best in the world.

Last one, I got to ask, has Violet approached you to skate for them yet?
[laughs] No, no.

Interview and Intro by: Ben Komins
Photos Courtesy of: Joel Powley, Simone Gozzetti, Nicoló Giovannoni and Alessio Brienza
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