Power Kite Forum

To and From the US of A

hickupper - 21-2-2012 at 01:32 PM

So me and my family are planning on going down to the Minnesota area and I am looking at taking a kite or two with me just in case I see some guys and have time to stop and fly.

Any suggestions on crossing the boarders with my stuff? I want to take both my kites, but don't want to get hassled when coming back.

Comments?

rocfighter - 21-2-2012 at 01:39 PM

Sneak across the boarder:P:wee:

indigo_wolf - 21-2-2012 at 01:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by hickupper
So me and my family are planning on going down to the Minnesota area and I am looking at taking a kite or two with me just in case I see some guys and have time to stop and fly.

Any suggestions on crossing the boarders with my stuff? I want to take both my kites, but don't want to get hassled when coming back.

Comments?


Some details would help. Are you travelling by car or air? What kites are you travelling with?

ATB,
Sam

hickupper - 21-2-2012 at 02:04 PM

I am going by car (family of 5) and will most likely be taking my 4m and maybe my 13m, but then I would have to take my harness and a few other things.

I also may pick up some things while I am down there and I am fine with declaring most of the things ;) but I don't want to get held up for the stuff I do own already.

Or are the border guys not that stick about kites?

macboy - 21-2-2012 at 04:46 PM

I've never had issue. If you buy new stuff just use it a couple times before you come home.

On the way back from Seaside the border guard looked in the car and at the buggy on the roof and said, "Coming back from the Gorge, are you?"

shehatesmyhobbies - 21-2-2012 at 05:17 PM

Can you declare them before you cross the border in order to make sure you do not have to show proof on return. I have only been to Canada a couple of times and never had any issues.

Bladerunner - 21-2-2012 at 06:06 PM

We send folks down with trailers filled with our kite gear for events. Never any issues but I do give the driver a paper declaring that my gear is my gear + he is not responsible if lost or stolen. I have tarveled back and forth many times .

No issues with kites but a Canadian Kiter - Boarder Gaurd once had me blow because He ( A Fellow kiter ) knows many folks enjoy a wobbly pop on Sunset beach and I told him I had just been there! :ticking::evil::ticking:

You can register your gear going down but it's a PITA.

canuck - 21-2-2012 at 10:46 PM

No questions asked or searches done when I drove down & back to NABX and SOBB. More interested in booze & tobacco than all of the kiting gear packed into the car.

I carried a file with printed pictures of all my gear on my driveway with house and car in background just in case so that I could show everything originated in Canada.

Feyd - 22-2-2012 at 05:29 AM

I just crossed the border heading south into Michigan. They asked me some questions and poked around a bit because they didn't quiet grasp the kite thing. But they were okay with it.

The fact that I crossed into QBC and left Sault St. Marie almost 24hrs later was probably more of a red flag than they pile of kites.

Getting into QBC was not an issue.

I think it comes down to who you get. Some BP's will be more hardass than some others.