We’ve all had horror stories when it comes to surfboards and airlines. United Airlines has crushed two boards of mine, both of which I paid upwards of 80 dollars to have them flown with me. A year or so back, Dave Carroll and his band were flying to a gig when they looked out the  window and saw baggage handlers smashing their gear! After a year of trying to get paid for his broken guitar, he got so fed up that he recorded this song and posted it on youtube.com. 
We heard the story on NPR this morning, and now that David has gotten over 131,000 views for his video, United is finally paying attention and offering to pay him for his damaged guitar. 
So, the question is: Any of you surfers who have suffered a broken board at the hand of an airline want to do something about it? Make a video! Post it and promote it! These airlines can’t get away with murder anymore! Good on you Dave Carroll, you are a hero to all of us who have ever gotten burned by the airlines.—Chris Cote

Have you been burned? Tell us your story. If it’s good, we’ll hook you up with a Transworld SURF prize package.

Last year I decided I was finally goin to surf some breaks that Ive seen in your mag.  Trestles being on the top of that list, so in November I took my first surf trip to the west coast. A few weeks before the trip I bought a custom Chemistry board ($600) which was my magic slipper.  I decided to bring it with me and when I got to the gate for Continental Airlines they told me it was $100 dollars to ship one way.  I paid and asked for those orange fragile stickers to be put all over my bag which was stuffed with wetsuits and cloths.  They said my board would be fine and would be well taken care of.   When I got to John Wayne Airport I got my board bag(last one off the plane), it looked like it was at the bottom of a pile of luggage. There was a huge dent in the top and a crack along the stringer on the bottom.

 When I went to catch my flight home I got there early to complain.  I talked with one of their reps and they wouldn't budge.  I told her the was B.S. and they should pay for shipping my boards both ways since this was a surf trip and they messed up my board.  This took so long it delayed take off.  When I finally got on the plane my girlfriend and the lady next to her started telling me about how they watched this fat bast@#$ throwing my fragile sticker lain boardbag like it was an olympic sport.  

Needless to say when I landed at BWI we again watched some douchebag throwing my board on a truck.   When I got home there were stress cracks and dings everywhere.  I tried to go fill out a damaged luggage claim and surprise they don't cover surfboards.  I did get a $200 Continental Airlines voucher for the full cost of shipping it both ways but lost my magic board and had to bodyboard from from Newport to San O when I came to surf.  I hate the airlines and will never check a board again.

F THE AIRLINES USE FED EX.  They're cheaper.