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"Every August and since the first Kite Surf event in August 2000, Martin's company, Kiteboarding School of Maui, has held an event for youth involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Martin wanted to give youth the opportunity to experience something they may never have had the chance to, while maintaining safety."

Rick Ortiz
Program Director-Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui (BBBS)

Kiteboarding Questions

What does FAA have to do with kiteboarding on Maui?

In September 1999, complaints to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about kiteboarding from an individual resulted in a federal ban of the sport on the north shore due to perceived violations of specific Federal Aviation Regulations. That ban came not too long after KSM started up in business prompting the owner of KSM to collaborate with other Maui kiteboarders to negotiate with FAA officials to allow the sport. Ultimately in March 2002, FAA granted a waiver to its regulations to Martin Kirk, owner of KSM and president of Hawaii Kiteboarding Association, which allowed kiteboarding to officially continue (in the interim from 1999 to 2002, FAA officials agreed to "look the other way" and allow the sport to continue while a waiver application was under review). At the present time, that certificate of authorization or FAA waiver is in the name of an attorney who happens to be the dad of two prominent pro kiteboarder phenoms.

All kiteboarding activities in the Kite Beach area are regulated by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Regulations due to the proximity to Kahului Airport. Although a waiver to those FAA regulations allows north shore kiteboarding, riders need to be aware of the one-mile wide by two-mile long FAA corridor at the end of the airport runway extending to seaward that is expressly off-limits to kiteboarding activities. If you are already kiteboarding, please stop by the KSM shop on your next kiteboarding trip to pick up a copy of the safe kiteboarding guidelines and FAA stipulations flyer.