Anybody travel regularly via air with a board?

[Stephen Lavin]

Marty, I use a golf bag with wheels. Mine is a soft style back with side padding and hard base. I think I will switch to a solid case this year though. The fabric does not hold up to the weight of 4 decks, clothes, and other gear,

I know Claude and Marty use and seem to like the hard shell golf club cases with wheels.
SL

[Tom Mangelsdorf]

I have taken my 46" board with me on a couple trips over the past year. I use a snowboard bag. I also put all my clothes and stuff in the same bag, just like a big suitcase. I think I'm gonna stop though because I heard a news story a couple weeks ago about airlines losing 14,000 pieces of luggage PER DAY. I love my skates, and I just can't bear the thought of losing any of 'em.

[Boyd de visser]

i had my downhill longboard whit me on vacation to portugal u can take it whit u but u need like an special commendation for it like transporting an sword or an knife u can just talk to that whit the staff .
but u can take it u only need to have it confiscated in the plane its given back afterwards

[Tony Peters]

Well I fly about once a month and have taken to bringing a board pretty much everywhere...if I'm going someplace with a park I have a 38" Alva Board bag that will fit my C39 and all my pads/helmet/wristguards/etc. If I don't know of a park I have a fat pin, 33.5" with a 24.5" wheelbase, that I shaped specificly for my suitcase. I changed the kingpins to Grindkings for ease of (dis)assembly. I skated in Bahrain (at night) and Diego Garcia on this little wonder last month and had a blast...just long enough to pump but short enough to manuve and take anywhere.

[Jonathan Harms]

Interestingly enough, in August I was able to fly from the USA to Munich (STL to Charlotte to Munich) on Lufthansa with a slalom board as a carry-on. In fact, it even had a huge, white, spray-painted dagger stenciled on the grip tape. But on the way back from Munich, I was stopped at the security checkpoint and told I couldn't carry the same board on and would have to check it.

Regarding uncrushable checked baggage, you might try to find a plastic gun case. I know they make them "rifle or shotgun size," but perhaps you could find one that's only skateboard size. You could remove or modify the foam inside to fit a skateboard in there. Think about that effect: Pull up to a skate spot, take out your attaché case like James Bond and watch everybody's jaw drop.

[Marty Agather]

Good to know. I'm headed into Munich this weekend, but it's a quick trip and I wouldn't think of bringing a board on this one. But later longer trips might be in the works, and if so, I'd love say hey to the EU brothers.

Best, Marty

[Jani Soderhall]

Within the EU you would not be able to take a skate on board. About two years ago they decided that a skate could be used as a (terrorist) weapon and decided that it was forbidden to carry it onboard. Even the trucks alone would have difficulties getting through nowadays, so better not even try.

/Jani

[Marty Agather]

I',m frequently glued in seat 15A, and was thinking that it's kind of a waste to be in many a beautiful skate spot without a board. Anybody have any great ideas on how to travel incognito with a stick? I'm a suit during the day, so a backpack is just one bag over the new TSA limit of Bigger than a paperback and you need to check it rule.

I was thinking about some sort of uncrushable checked baggage, but other ideas are welcome. I was also thinking about pulling the trucks off and stuffing a short board in my carryon, but then you'd need to bring a screwdriver, and if you showed up in line with one of those the only skating you'd be doing was on the frozen puddles in the exercise yard in Leavenworth in January.

Coming to a town near you,

Marty