ATTENTION: Rant, sparknotes at the bottom for those who don't want to read my poorly written experience
I recently just got home from California where I was looking at possible Colleges. Aside from Colleges I had one other thing I planned on doing, which was buying a surfboard. Seeing as shipping a surfboard that you buy online comes out around 150 for just the shipping buying one in Cali and flying back with it was my best option. Growing up in Minnesota buying a surfboard never really appealed to me seeing as I was landlocked until I got out to the coast and gave the sport a try. Eventually I became aware of the Lake Superior surf scene and realized it was something much to my interest. For about the past 3 years my dream has been to ski the local hill in duluth and surf superior all in one day. This trip to California was getting me one step closer to that dream in which I purchased my first surfboard. It was a slightly used 6'6 ET custom made shortboard, had no dings and really appeared to be brand new. The board included fins and was 330 dollars, a little out of my price range but was a pretty meaty board compared to all the other shortboards, so I went for it and really spent the only money I had for such spending. Which seeing as I have only surfed a shortboard once in my life I decide the extra 100 dollars would be worth having a fairly buoyant board than a skinnier board seeing as I am not the most experienced surfer. It was just like my first pair of freestyle skis, I put them on in my basement and pretended I was skiing. Only difference was I am 17 compared to 7 and was laying on a surfboard in the Courtyard Marriot pretending to paddle into a set on my bed. I bought a surfbag packed it carefully with clothesespecially on the nose and tail. The plane ride home all I could think of was how I was going to take it out on the lake to see how she handled paddling and get a feel for it before this winter when I got to give her a go on the lake. Eventually I was in Minneapolis waiting for my bag and was pretty sure it might not make it seeing as I had a real tight connection in Denver I barely made. But to my dismay it came out the oversize baggage claim and a huge smile came to my face. I picked up the bag and it went limp. My heart sank I opened the bag to find the surfboard in two. I invested all the money to my name in surfing this winter and the board I purchased was now in two pieces. I immediately went to the baggage service office. From there I was told that there really was nothing they could do I would have to call Southwest and ask them to make an acceptation. I really made an effort not to take out my frustration on the lady dealing with the issue but her comments like "the board must of had a malfunction seeing as it snapped, I mean sharks can't even bite through surfboards" to "it can handle waves, I don't see how it couldn't handle flying" to "we don't see surfboard come through here often" that last one with a tone begging the question who the hell do I think I am bringing a surfboard here. I thanked her for her help and left after she was done making a claim that she said most likely won't do anything seeing as the board snapping was my fault. I am now sitting here sulking and about to call their offices. Any suggestions.
Sparknotes: Always wanted to surf Lake Superior, bought board in California, Southwest airlines shipped it back, I received it snapped in half, they say its my fault any suggestions on what to do
