MKA History - Maui Kiteboarding Association

History

After dozens of unofficial kitesurfing safety meetings, The Maui Kiteboarding Association was officially formed on Tuesday December 15 1998. The official purpose of the association: “To promote safe and responsible kiteboarding and protect the access of kiteboarders to public beaches and waters. To this end the association’s activities would include: Improving safety, launching sites, and product improvements, distribute booklets to the public and at sports stores; self regulate/self police; affirmatively contact city council/government agencies to prevent ban, possibly draft and present proposed regulations; keep in contact with city council/government agencies. To make the organization a non-profit corporation or other type of entity. Volunteer kiteboarders assist the Maui Kiteboarding Association by donating their time and expertise and money. The MKA membership fees are used primarily for the printing and distribution of brochures and other promotional material, and direct expenses such as tool and machinery costs for clearing launch sites etc. A small amount goes to supporting “sister” kitesurfing associations. Membership recognition is sometimes given in exchange for goods or services given to the MKA. Receipts for membership fees can be obtained by writing to: Maui Kiteboarding Association, c/o 415a Dairy Road, Kahului, Maui, HI USA. The MKA keeps its financial records on file. No member or officer of the MKA is paid for their services. All officers of the MKA have an active interest in kiteboarding or are active kiteboarders. The MKA office holders are listed on the “Members Page”. At this time the MKA is an unincorporated association. The MKA represents the interests of its members, supporters and the kiteboarding community as a whole.

MKA establishes Kiteboarding Zones and Safety Guidelines
In February 1999, the MKA began circulating copies of the agreed upon “Maui Kitezone Maps and Guidelines” for display and distribution to the public. Kitesurfing schools and shops, began responsibly informing their customers about safety issues and practices. The Zones effectively separated kitesurfers and windsurfers riding areas to reduce potential conflicts.

MKA restores kitesurfing after FAA ban
October 14, 1999, MKA Elected Delegation met with the FAA at Kahului Airport at 6 pm. Representatives attended the meeting from the Maui Law Enforcement Department, Charles Penque of the DNLR, air traffic controllers, flight safety officers, other members of the kiteboarding community joined the group. Jim Webb from FAA Honolulu gave an audio-visual presentation on the role of Federal Aviation and the duty of flight safety officers. The bottom line was that the FAA was concerned with aircraft safety. The MKA Steering Committee Elected Delegation appointed MKA Vice-President Jim Fosbinder to be spokesperson for the group. The FAA listened to Jim’s summary of our position on the FAR. Jim explained that the Kiteboarding Association was happy to assist with self-policing the runway’s clear way. There was an exchange of information on both sides. Jim Fosbinder worked solidly for a week prior to the meeting to establish the rights of kiteboarders to operate within the FAA regulations.

MKA promotes Kiteboarder Safety
2000-present MKA members and volunteers continue to disseminate information about kiteboarders Safety. Distribute, copies of the local kiteboarder guidelines, and lobby for maintained access to launch sites. We work with the lifeguards, and the parks dept, and the FAA ATC to maintain good relations among the user Groups and the authorities. In 2000 the HKA Hawaii Kiteboarding Association, was formed to become umbrella association uniting the different island kiteboarding associations. A Maui chapter was formed and ran for a short time. the first FAA Waiver was issued to that association. However problems eventually arose that caused the HKA to be disbanded, and the Waiver was then transferred to a new association, the Maui Kitesurfing Community. The MKC is exclusively concerned with the maintenance of the Waiver, which allows all kiteboarders to kite on the north shore. The MKA assisted in the formation of the the MKC and helped them to to acquire the waiver. The MKA continues to promote kiteboarder safety. While the MKC is concerned with meeting the waiver requirements. For more information on the MKC Maui Kitesurfing Community click here.

KITE BEACH RESTORATION
MKA members and community volunteers have done an enormous amount of volunteer work to restore the areas collectively known as “Kite Beach”. The work started in 2000 when the association and kiteboarding community members decided to move the kiteboarding launch areas from “Lower Kanaha” (“Lowers”), downwind to the beaches below (west) of Ka’a Point, the area now known as “Kite Beach”.
The beach launch at the western side of the storm water canal, formerly part of the Naval Air Station Kahului (NASKA), was used for a sewerage pumping station. It is know to the locals as Naska. Formerly a neglected beach and informal trash dump has now been restored to a natural beach that is fit for local families to enjoy, has brought back the natural beauty of the area. Photographers and even tourists and is enjoyed by dozens of kiteboarders and other beach users. Phase One “Clean Up”
The beach had been neglected for a long time and had piles of trash, tons of dangerous driftwood and logs along its length. One area had been used as an unofficial trash dump for years and had car bodies and parts, hazardous waste, piles of waste materials from building sites, household appliances, rusty metal, appliances, mounds of broken glass and plastics. Another area cleaned up by the kiteboarder community in conjunction with CWD community Work Day was the Ka’a Point Area. Ka’a Point known to kiteboarders as “Pro Beach” was a tangle of trash, deadwood, kiawe scrub and weeds, which were cleared from the Ka’a point parking area, beach, and adjacent areas. The initial Clean up project took over two years with many weekend working parties, Community Work day projects, Get the Drift and Bag It, daily trash runs, with the help of Maui Kiteboarding Association, and the Community work day programs (CWD), and volunteers. MKA funds were used to purchase some of the hand tools used in the project. The majority of the clean up costs were generously donated by several MKA business members, and machinery donated by local contractors, and businesses..
We would especially like to thank Action Sports Maui and Hawaiian Island Surf and Sport for their community spirit and continuing support. (unfortunately most of our our pre cleanup photos of the area were lost on our old computer. (If anyone has pictures of Kanaha and Kitebeach pre-cleanup, we would like see them and get a copy)

Phase Two “Restoration”

After the trash was removed the launch areas were still crowded with cars and the parking areas were minimal forcing beach users to park so close to the beach that kites trying to launch were jammed Watering the Ma'o (Hawaiian Cotton). into the narrow strip of sand between the parked cars and the ocean. The existing parking area behind the launch site was separated from the beach by mounds of trash, when this was also cleared, it became more desirable to park there. Eventually the beach users agreed not to park on or drive over the immediate beach area. The launch area was freed from the hazard of parked cars. The launch site then became widened to point where it could accommodate the increasing number of beach users safely. The area is under the care of several volunteer groups who restore native vegetation and with the help of the kiteboarding association’s volunteers, the perimeter of the beach launch was replanted with native, indigenous, and endemic plants. The plants were donated by local Nurseries, like Hoolawa Farms native plant nursery, members, and individuals. The plants donated and purchased for the project include several rare and endangered species of beach flora unique to Maui coastline habitat. Wherever possible, local seeds were collected from the site and propagated out. The weeds are being managed by volunteers that work regularly in the park. Notably Mike Perry himself and also his Americorp crews. Native plant experts have been active at Kanaha park filling in bare areas with local species to control erosion on areas formerly open to the elements. The natural action of the tides and big surf has brought fresh sand onto the beach in many places where cars used to park on dirt, rock and trash. The efforts of others including Kim and Forrest Starr to oversee the plant life, and helped the flora to rebound and thrive.

Kite Beach “Action beach launch” 2002 (Naska) after the restoration. This was a MKA kiteboarding community project. Beach clean up and maintenance volunteer work continues. To volunteer for foreshore clean up projects, contact; Community Work Day (808) 877-2524.

Phase Three,
By about 2004, after the restoration work was done, the seedlings grew into shade trees, the red dirt and dust that used to fly around with every wind gust, was now replaced by plant life. The spiky Akiaki grass spread across the sandy soil, creating a natural protection for the dunes and trapped more windblown sand. Salt tolerant plants like the Naupaka took hold and anchored dunes. The Milo and beach heliotrope Seagrape, Hau, and grew taller into shade trees. The understory was carpeted with Ilima papa and their small yellow flowers. Pohinahina, and Pohuehue bloomed and grew. At one time the Willi willi trees and the Hau (a relative of the Hibiscus) at Kanaha were affected by the Blight that affected almost all these plants on the island. As a result we lost a few trees from that time. Nature took over with just a little help from volunteers watering plants in the driest months, and we saw the reemergence of Ma’o (Hawaiian cotton), and many other indigenous plants. Native Hawaiian shoreline plants are naturally drought resistant and salt tolerant, so they are ultimately self sustaining and low maintenance. Groups of students got tours of the Native plants in the area. naturalists, and botanists came to the area and studied the plants in increasing regularity. Lei makers and seed collectors started to use the area to collect native seeds and specimens to re-vegetate other coastal areas, and even for the the plant restoration efforts on the island of Kooholawe. Since 04 we now have portable toilets, and trash pickup. In 2006 the Parks and Wildlife donated funds for a post and rail fence that would protect the dune vegetation areas from vehicular traffic once and for all. With minimal disturbance to the environment the fence was created that really defined the vegetation areas, and created a barrier for protection. For more information on important plants to ancient Hawai’i go to Canoeplants.

A Local Photography Club enjoys the shade trees and other native vegetation bordering the kite beach launch.