How to Pack Your Skateboard for Airplane Travel
Travelling soon? Want to take your skateboard with you on the plane but not sure if you can? Check out our list of options and tips that will have you at your destination with your board in hand.
Travelling to new places creates the welcomed opportunity to skate new terrain and visit new skate parks. Returning to your old stomping grounds can mean a visit to the spot where you perfected your fifty-fifty grind or a chance to show off in front of old friends.
Wherever you go, your skateboard is going too.
Have board will travel is the motto, which raises the question, “Can I bring my skateboard on an airplane?”
Airlines Are Cool With Skateboards
The answer is yes, and it turns out most of the major airlines are skateboard friendly, giving you lots of different options for how to pack and travel with your skateboard.
American, United, Southwest, Delta, WestJet, and Air Canada all allow skateboards as carry-on luggage without extra charges as long as the board fits within weight and size requirements, which should not be a problem unless you have one of these.
Southwest does require that a skateboard stowed in the overhead compartment be covered in some way. (Garbage bags are acceptable, but won’t win you any points for style.)
JetBlue will only accept skateboards as conditionally checked baggage, which means that they are not responsible if a baggage handler snaps your deck in half while trying to do ollies on the tarmac. Boo, JetBlue!
But don't worry. Even if you are travelling JetBlue you still have several options for travelling with your skateboard.
1. Stuff It in Your Suitcase
The first of which is to squeeze your board into your suitcase. Travelling Skateboard recommends wrapping your skateboard in a garbage bag (Oh, if your board had a say in this.) to keep your clothes clean and then packing your clothes around it for padding.
Why miss an opportunity to skate through a crowded airport and trust the safe delivery of your beloved board to the baggage claim folks, when you can carry it with you and keep it in sight. Plus, what a better conversation starter for the old lady sitting next to you, right?
2. Strap It on Your Backpack
If you feel like garbage bags will cramp your style, (they have a reputation for doing that) then why not use a backpack to carry your skateboard. Most skateboard brands like etnies, Element, RDS, and OBEY make packs specifically designed for carting your skateboard.
Tough choice, walking through the airport with a skateboard wrapped in a duct taped garbage bag under your arm or strolling with your board strapped to your stylish and comfortable backpack.
Even if your backpack does not have the skateboard straps, you can still make it work. You might just be sacrificing some comfort though, no biggie.
3. Ship It
An expensive option would be to ship your skateboard to your destination. Skateboards can be fairly heavy so the expense after packing materials are included could be rather hefty, but you will be spared the physical exertion of having to carry it around from flight to flight.
Unless you want to shell out the big bucks to ship it overnight you may have to do without it for a day or two on both ends, but lets face it this is probably a safer option than checking it at the baggage claim.
Whichever option you choose make sure to also pack extra equipment, wheels, bearings, etc and hardware, and possibly a few spare garbage bags.
Now you have plenty of options for flying the friendly skies with your skateboard in tow, destinations the world over are waiting.
