Windsurfing and Kiting Legislation

[Admin]

This may seem off topic, but it does not take a huge leap of imagination to see why it may not be at some point.

I am sure we have users here who will fall on both sides of this issue, so I present it for your information only. 

"The legislature finds that surfers and swimmers using Hawaii's oceans for recreation face a danger from
operators of sailboards and kiteboards."

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2008/Bills/SB2091_.pdf

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2008/hearingnotices/WTL_02-15-08_.htm

[hilton]

Whatever happened to the Aloha spirit?

It seems like the Maui lawmakers are trying to chase away all of the windsurfing tourists.

First the crackdown on North Shore vacation rentals, then the "arrests" at Hookipa, now this.

I can understand the frustration from the increased traffic, outrageous real estate/rental prices, etc.  but tourism is the #1 industry in Hawaii.  I am already reading on various message boards about longtime Maui visitors finding new spots to visit since they no longer feel welcome in Hawaii.  It's only a matter of time before the tourism revenues start to dry up and attitudes will have to shift back the other way.

[Kaweeka]

Could not agree more but that is just sort of the cycle that Hawaii seems to go through.  The mood seems a little more serious than in the past and  this is not the only crappy piece of legislation being looked at!  Sent my testimony in and hope others did as well - I'm not a big fan of discrimination!

Of course not to worry.  I happened to find my "Thumbs Up Hawaii" posters and we will all be back out waving like a bunch of perverted politicians any day now!  Now if you remember these you are on the path to becoming local    Course there were a lot of people who confused Hawaii with a certain planet and kept saying Thumbs Up Uranus . . . 

[river]

All I have to say is
WTF

The basic bumper sticker sums it all up IMO.

"Welcome to Maui-Now go home"

If we all went home or other places instead they would be begging for us to come back so they could eat, drink and be merry too...
Aloha 

[stoneaxe]

Seems a bit extreme for sure but at the same time I can empathize. I live in an area that every summer gets overcrowded with tourists. Even the folks that rely on tourism for their living are getting tired of them by the end of the summer. A blessing and a curse....I can't imagine how it must feel to have them 12 months of the year. What bothers me about Hawaii is the racism and bigotry displayed by a vocal minority. You can definitely feel the bad vibe sometime. I don't tend to get comments given my size but I know folks that have.

[Paduan Sam]

Holy crap.  Wow.  Looks like the politicians are not finding better things to try to fix.  Before you know it.  They might even try to pass a bill like the one they have in SoCal about SUPers not being able to surf in certain spots because we use a paddle.  No can dat kine.

[Byronmaui]

I think that bill has been benched right now.
On a different front Maui County is working on an ordinance about surf lessons and the amount of instructors that can represent a school at certain beaches and the amount of permits issued. I am in favor of this to somepart because I have been out and had instructors doing lessons at beaches that don't allow it. Seems like everyone is opening a school here on Maui to teach surfing.

Aloha

Byron