After a six-year ban on commercial activity at Kailua beach, there are rumblings that some members of the community are ready for that to change.
“Folks in the community, in Windward Oahu, approached me about having the discussion to allow for kite boarding instruction for fee at Windward beach parks. They are feeling that we have many folks who engage in kite boarding activities at Kailua Beach Park in particular who have no idea how to kite,” City Council Member Ikaika Anderson explained.
“These groups think that if we allowed some type of limited commercial instruction that it would make for a safer environment,”
Anderson said he then brought the issue to the city council.
“There was a discussion. No decisions have been made and I have not introduced any legislation at this time,” explained Anderson.
Mitch Muroff has been traveling the world kite boarding for nine years.
“I think it’s a good idea and I would encourage the city or the county to use it as a mechanism to ensure safety so that they can manage it the way they want. They can manage the qualifications of the people who are teaching, the way they teach, how many are teaching and really make sure that there’s a safe space for everybody,” Muroff said.
Tony Groman has been kite boarding in Kailua since 1999. He said he would support a measure to allow permits for ocean sport instruction at Kailua Beach as long as there are clear guidelines and consequences.
“There needs to be strict rules where if they give permits to teach, those should be the only people there teaching,” Groman said.
Regulation is the key because no one wants a repeat of what happened in Kailua Beach before.
Groman recalled how overrun the beach got with illegal kayak, windsurfing and stand up paddle rentals.
“When they had a few permits, the people that had permits used those permits. Everybody else said, ‘Oh yeah this is my friend from out of town and I’m teaching,’ and that’s how people have been teaching down here for years,” Groman said.
The past problems with illegal business activity are what lead to the current ban in the first place.
Ikaika Anderson said his office is sending an email to the Kailua neighborhood chair to suggest the discussion be continued during an upcoming community meeting.
“I am very concerned if we open Kailua up to commercial instruction for kite boarding that we may have to revisit this entire issue again. If that’s what the community wants to do, I’m here to serve. I’m going to do that. But I am not going to introduce any legislation until I hear from the community,” Anderson explained.
