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Today Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL) introduced a resolution commemorating the accomplishments of champion surfer Kelly Slater. Congresswoman Mazie Hirono (D-HI) joined Posey in offering the resolution. Slater has thirty-nine World Championship Tour victories and was inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame in 2002.

“Kelly Slater has made outstanding accomplishments in the sport of surfing,” said Congressman Posey. “He is an ambassador of the sport and a role model for other aspiring surfers in the United States and throughout the world. It is a privilege to work with Congresswoman Hirono on this resolution.”

“Although he wasn’t born in Hawaii, we consider Kelly Slater an island son,” said Congresswoman Hirono. “Having surfed the world-renowned spots on Oahu’s North Shore, Kelly has earned a large following in Hawaii, not only due to his nine world surfing championships but also because of the humble, local-style way in which he carries himself. As a representative of Hawaii, the birthplace of surfing, I thank my colleague Congressman Posey for introducing this resolution.”

Robert Kelly Slater was born in Cocoa Beach, FL where he learned to surf with his brothers. In 1992, Slater was the youngest surfer to win the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship and, just last year, he became the oldest to win that title. Slater is also the first surfer ever to be awarded two perfect scores under the ASP two wave scoring system and is a six time winner of the Billabong Pipeline Masters for the top forty-five ranked surfers by the ASP. In 2007, Slater started the Kelly Slater Foundation to raise awareness and support for environmental and social issues.