A group of water sports enthusiasts is trying to keep kiteboarding, windsurfing, stand up paddleboarding, kayaking and surfing authorized activities at Kanaha Beach Park, in Maui.
The Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation of the State of Hawaii is planning to keep all water sports out of Ka'a Point, by enforcing swimming zones in the area.
Beachgoers claim that kitesurfers are endangering children and that they sought to "escalate the issue into a physical altercation" when encountered.
Meanwhile, a petition has been issued to protect ocean access to Kanaha Beach. The Ocean Safety Alliance believes that "current arrangement has been accepted by the community for 25 years".
"The old rule that was intended to create exclusive swim zones located close to the lifeguard tower, and the current swim zone (marked by buoys) has been used and respected for two and a half decades".
The water sports community says a change "will lead to overcrowding and potential problems in the remaining areas".