Road to SEMA Influencer Introduction: Shannon Aikau & Count's Kustoms
LAS VEGAS, NV
Shannon Aikau is the lead builder and bike shop manager at Count's Kustoms in Las Vegas. He has been with the shop for over 20 years and has become well-known for his appearances on Counting Cars on the History Channel.
Count's Kustoms is a hot rod and chopper customization and restoration shop owned by Danny "Count" Koker. They specialize in custom paint jobs, upholstery, frame-up builds, and more. They make sure the vehicles they create not only catch the eye with creative looks but that they also are comfortable rides.
CTEK CO-PILOT SHANNON AIKAU - COUNT'S KUSTOMS' LEAD BUILDER
Born on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii, Shannon Aikau has been a car and bike lover from an early age. Later in life, he moved to Las Vegas to work on his bike building career.
While in Las Vegas, Aikau met Danny Koker and built him a car. Koker was impressed with the quality and craftsmanship and asked Aikau to come work for him at Count's Kustoms. Aikau hit the ground running and never looked back, moving up to become lead builder and manager of the bike shop. Gearheads throughout the world praise Aikau for his skills and talents in fabrication and engineering.
ROAD TO SEMA GETS TO KNOW SHANNON AIKAU
As a copilot on the Road to SEMA, we wanted to get to know Shannon a little better, so we asked him some questions to find out what a road trip would be like with "A Number One".
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Company | Brand |
Count's Kustoms |
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Name |
Shannon Aikau |
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lanesplitter3@yahoo.com |
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Facebook Handle |
Shannon Aikau |
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Instagram Handle |
Shannon Aikau Official |
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What was your favorite road trip and why? |
My favorite road trip was when we went to San Philippe Bay Mexico. Can you imagine 300 barely running motorcycles on a full assault going through the border at Calexico? We made our way down to San Felipe for three days of craziness. Then made our way up and over the mountain into Ensenada for two days and then back through TJ straight home to Las Vegas. What an epic trip; the El Diablo run, it’s called. |
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What are your top 3 songs you must have on your road trip playlist? |
My top three songs...how about my top three artists on my road trip playlist? First is Erin Lewis, second Jamey Johnson, and third Bob Marley. I can go on and on. |
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Who would you choose as your road trip co-pilot, alive or dead, to join you on the ultimate road trip and why? |
The person I would choose on my road trip would’ve been my dad. Not only did he know how to fix bikes when they broke down (like I do) but he was pretty cool to hang around. And he liked to cook and tell stories. |
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What is your favorite vehicle/bike you have owned or built? |
One of my favorite vehicles I have built [is one] my wife owns: her '62 Karman Ghia that we did on an episode of Counting Cars. |
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What is the one vehicle/bike you wish you owned? Or what was one you owned and foolishly sold it? |
I wish I still had my grandpa's 1969 Dodge Charger. It had pretty bad rust in the back but it was still running and the front end was still good, with its original 440 Magnum engine. My dad sold it before moving to Las Vegas for next to nothing to help out another in need. And let me tell you I’ve never seen somebody cry that much over a car. I mean the new owner was very, very happy. |
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What fueled your passion and got you into this industry? |
My passion for cars, bikes, and anything mechanical started at a very young age, watching my grandpa and my dad building things, with me helping them in the garage. I guess you can say I was born as a gearhead. And I thank them for teaching me and giving me the love and support for making me who I am today. It’s always nice when you can think of something, to dream of something, and make that dream come true. The satisfaction that you get from completing something from a dream to actually riding or driving it is like no other. |
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Do you have anything coming up between now & SEMA that you would like us to feature? |
I’m currently in the process of getting my 1958-year-old Westy VW bus re-done for 2019 SEMA. It will be featuring a CTEK 140 amp charging system for the off-the-grid power that I need in that VW bus, for it is a true camper. |
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Tell us about your experience with CTEK product(s). |
We use a lot of CTEK products at our shop, Counts Kustoms. At my home, the Time to Go battery charger maintainer is one of the greatest compact battery maintainers you can get. Every household needs one, especially when you have vehicles that are not driven daily. You know that when you do need to go out on it your battery won’t fail you. Mahalo, CTEK, for the great products you offer. |
Thank you to Shannon and his crew at Count's Kustoms. Remember to submit your vehicle to be a winner in the Road to SEMA Sweepstakes.
Learn more about the Road to SEMA and the great prizes you can win. Join us on our EPIC Summer Roat Trip, culminating in Las Vegas at the SEMA Show! CLICK HERE to get involved!
