The U.S. House of Representatives today unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution (H. Res. 792) offered by Representatives Bill Posey (R-FL) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) recognizing World Champion Surfer Kelly Slater for winning the 2010 Rip Curl Pro Bell Championship and for his numerous other victories and contributions to the sport of surfing. Sixty House Members in all cosponsored the Kelly Slater Resolution.

“Slater has worked hard to master a sport that so many have tried but so few have actually been able to conquer,” said Congressman Posey who represents Slater’s home town of Cocoa Beach, FL. “His world championship record is impressive and is certainly worthy of recognition.”

“Kelly Slater’s skill and achievements have earned him many fans in Hawaii, the birthplace of surfing,” said Congresswoman Mazie Hirono. “Two decades after winning his first professional surf contest, we in the islands are proud of our part-time resident as he continues to add to his string of successes out on the waves.”

Florida’s first surfing champion, Robert Kelly Slater, was born in Cocoa Beach 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, in 2008, 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.

Slater’s other accomplishments include:

• He is a six-time winner of Billabong Pipeline Masters.
• Slater won five consecutive Association of Surfing Professionals titles.
• He is a two time winner of the Triple Crown of Surfing.
• Slater currently has 42 World Championship Tour victories.
• He also holds a record 9 Association of Surfing Professionals World Championships.
• Slater is surfing’s all-time leader in career event wins.
• In 2002 Slater was inducted into Surfers Hall of Fame.

Nearly 40% of all east cost surfing occurs in Florida and despite tough economic times, the surf industry remains resilient showing $7.22 Billion in sales in 2008 and considerable growth over the past few years according to research performed by the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association(SIMA). Cocoa Beach, FL is home to many surf shops including Ron Jon’s flag ship store, which was recently named one of the 25 Best Independent Retailers by Business Week and employs 500 people with $50 million in revenue.

[The April issue of] TransWorld Business takes a look at the state of the surf hardgoods market, checking in with the industry to see how surfboard sales are faring.

The past five years have been tumultuous for surfboard manufacturers. All markets naturally ebb and flow, but the ripples that formed in the
wake of Clark Foam’s closure in December 2005 quickly turned into waves. For many surfboard builders, dodging and duck-diving the formidable set of challenges that ensued has taken a toll.

That being said, there appears to be a lull on the horizon. After three years of retailers reporting being over inventoried with surf hardgoods, the tide seems to have begun its turn. According to a survey of 75 of the leading surfboard retailers in the U.S., 76 percent described their current surfboard inventory as either about right, slightly under-stocked, or under-stocked. Of the remaining 24 percent, 22 percent said they are only slightly overstocked, leaving a mere two percent in the flooded category.

Our new online Surf Catalog is a rallying call on behalf of threatened surf breaks around the world. It’s packed full of stunning images, compelling videos, the best surf gear available and action alerts from our friends at Save The Waves Coalition. Give it a look and share with your friends – it’s time for all surfers to come together and protect our precious surf breaks.

Sign up for FCD Surfboard emails inside the online Surf Catalog and you’ll be entered to win a Patagonia Wetsuit. Click “Join Our Mailing List” to enter (lower-right corner). Existing Patagonia email subscribers must sign-up in order to be entered. *No purchase necessary; see official rules at Patagonia.com.

Our thanks go out to everyone who contributed to this issue. We hope you like it.

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