A co-owner of a Christian-themed skateboard company was about to be charged $90 when his skateboard didn’t meet the prescribed luggage size requirements. His solution? Snapping it in half. Fits now, right?
Shaun Hover, one of the founders of a Christian-themed skateboard company / ministry was traveling with his skateboard recently. However, gate agents from Spirit Airlines flagged his board for being out of compliance with the prescribed size limitations for carry-on luggage and levied a $90 fee against him. Hover, rather than pay the fee, solved the problem rather creatively. He snapped the board in half. “Fits now, right?”
The video was shared on his TikTok account and is making the rounds on social media platforms.
Hover is a co-founder of Untitled Skate, a nonprofit organization that also sells skateboards as part of its ministry.
“The fact that we are a professional skateboard company allows us to be involved in the skate industry so that we can spread the Gospel through our skateboarding. We run consistent advertisements in skate magazines with scripture printed on skate photos. Through that we are able to spread the word to people who would never step foot in a church. Our real hearts desire is to do ministry, and one of the many ways we do that is by going all over the world doing skateboard demos, finishing with the gospel and inviting youth to accept Christ as their Lord”
Untitled Skate
Commenters on Reddit, where the video is also going viral, had a lot to say including some of these gems (sic):
- “The deck itself is $50 if he doesn’t own a skate company. Still saved $40 this way: – happytree23
- “Honestly that’s all I’d want, buy a new board for like 60, great excuse if you need a new board but have been putting it off” – chusbruh
- “A lot of skateboarders like to do tricks where they’re not quite sure if they’ll stick the landing. I suspect flying Spirit gives them that same rush of not knowing if the landing will succeed.” – zeroblorb
- “Dude was a n00b. I fly with my skateboard all the time. I remove the trucks before hand and place them in my bag. Slide the deck by itself between my back & my bag. Vast majority of the time, nobody notices (or at least doesn’t say anything). The few times someone at the gate pointed it out, I showed them how thin it is, and that not only can it slide under the seat in front of my perfectly fine, but if I place it in the overhead bin, someone’s bag can still easily fit sitting on top of it. I’ve never had an issue doing it this way.” – PM_ME_UR_TICKET_STUB
- “It’s literally cheaper to smash the board at that price. He saved money by destroying it” – Ashbell_Rorickson
Spirit Airlines’ skateboard policy provides some additional guidance on its rules:
- Can I bring my skateboard, electric skateboard or hover board? “Sure you can bring it! We accept non-motorized/non-battery operated skateboards onboard as a carry-on or personal item provided the item is: Within Spirit’s carry-on or personal item size dimensions, and, stowed with wheels up to prevent rolling. Guests must stow the skateboard wheels up, preferably under the seat. Skateboards count towards a Guest’s bag allowance and carry-on bag charges apply, as applicable. A limited liability release form must be signed as well.”
Hover deployed the classic “power move” to avoid the baggage fees. Has anyone else experienced this before? How did you resolve the situation?
