Surfing Legend Joel Tudor Publicly Condemns Hawaiian Airlines’ Surfboard Policy After Airport Incident
HONOLULU, HI – Pro surfer and skateboarding icon Joel Tudor was reportedly denied boarding with his longboard on a Hawaiian Airlines flight, prompting a scathing public critique of the airline’s policies regarding surfboard transport. Tudor shared his experience via social media, warning fellow surfers too avoid the carrier and questioning the company’s sponsorship of longboarding events while simultaneously restricting board travel.
Tudor detailed the incident in a video posted to Instagram, stating, “Ok the funnier part is that in your current advertisement, you have Zeke Lau riding a longboard with his daughter… You also sponsor the Duke Ocean fest, which is a longboarding contest, which hosts longboarders from australia and California. so you sponsor longboarding events but you deny longboarders the opportunity to bring boards on your planes.Then you tell them to go screw themselves and keep what you charged them to bring their boards on the plane…make it make sense.” The post quickly gained traction within the surfing community, reigniting a long-standing debate over airline policies impacting board travelers.
This incident arrives amidst growing frustration within the surfing world regarding airline surfboard fees and restrictions, particularly on inter-island flights. Previously, pro surfer Billy Kemper publicly called out Hawaiian Airlines over high board bag fees, a complaint that led to a temporary policy change. The recent acquisition of hawaiian Airlines by Alaskan Airlines – a carrier generally known for more accommodating board bag policies – adds another layer to the controversy, raising expectations for improved accessibility for surfers.
The situation highlights a broader issue of airlines balancing revenue from baggage fees with the needs of the surfing community and the sport’s economic impact on destinations like Hawaii. Tudor’s warning serves as a stark reminder of the challenges surfers face when traveling with their equipment and underscores the need for airlines to reconsider policies that appear contradictory to their public image and sponsorships.
https://www.surfer.com/news/kelly-slater-billy-kemper-scold-airlines-poor-treatment-of-surfboards
