Kiteboarding Magazine

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2003-09-17 15:00:00 | 85 views | 0 Comments

In March 2002, after 2 1/2 years of discussions and
negotiations, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials
granted Hawaii Kiteboarding Association (HKA) members a waiver to
the 40 year-old regulations restricting kite flying within 5 miles
of an airport and kites weighing over 5 pounds. The FAA waiver
stipulates no kiteboarding at the end of runway #2 in
Spreckelsville. Otherwise, there are few restrictions within this
5-mile airport zone as to where we can practice. We have
voluntarily created a safety buffer zone between the different
ocean users by primarily staying downwind of windsurfing and canoe
paddling. The sport continues to grow here and worldwide, and
Mauians stand to benefit from the increased numbers showing up to
play with kites in our warm waters and steady winds.

Since having obtained the FAA waiver, HKA has maintained the
waiver and works closely with FAA and Air Traffic Control Tower
(ATCT) at Kahului International Airport to enforce the waiver
stipulations and thereby stay in good standing with these agencies.
This waiver allows us to kiteboard on the north shore of Maui and
must be renewed every two years. Both FAA and ATCT acknowledge the
successful efforts by HKA to maintain the waiver during the past 18
months; nonetheless, these agencies have indicated they plan to
rescind the waiver in about 30 days.

Almost 4 years to the day, when FAA enforced its regulations and
halted all kiteboarding along Maui?s north shore in September 1999,
we are now faced with FAA rescinding the waiver HKA worked so very
hard to obtain and even harder to maintain. We are in negotiations
with Maui County, FAA, and ATCT to see what can be done to keep the
waiver so that recreational kiteboarding will not be affected.

Please support our efforts and
rejoin HKA Maui and tell your friends who are not members to
financially support our efforts to keep the sport on
Maui.

Also, please help us enforce
the “NO KITEBOARDING” ZONE at the end of the runway in
Spreckelsville & NO KITEBOARDING AFTER SUNSET anywhere on the
North Shore of Maui.

Please help HKA help you keep
this sport alive and well on Maui.

For More Information conatct

Martin Kirk
HKA Maui
President
PO BOX 790685
Paia, Hawaii 96779
808.280.0015
martin@hawaiikiteboardingassociation.org