Recognizing and honoring Robert Kelly Slater for winning the 2010 Rip Curl Pro Bell Championship and for his other outstanding achievements in the world of surfing.

I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise also to honor the surfing achievements of Kelly Slater. He is the dominant world champion of surfing. Last month, he became the Rip Curl Pro Bell Champion for the fourth time, adding to the 42 international championships he has won. He is unmatched, unparalleled in the world of surfing. Obviously, he is an inspiration to many.

Robert Kelly Slater grew up in Cocoa Beach, Florida, born there on February 11, 1972. He learned to surf on Cocoa Beach with his brothers Sean and Stephen. He routinely won amateur championships in the eighties, and six Eastern Surfing Association championships and four national titles.

In 1992, at the age of 20, Kelly Slater was the youngest surfer ever to win the Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship. He is a six-time winner of the Billabong Pipeline Masters. That's 1992 to 2008. The Billabong Pipeline Masters is a competition held annually at the Bonzai Pipeline in Oahu, Hawaii. Forty-five of the top-ranked surfers ranked by the Association of Surfing Professionals compete. Again, Kelly Slater's achievements there are unprecedented.

He won five consecutive Association of Surfing Professionals titles between 1994 and 1998. In 1995 and 1998, Kelly Slater won the surfing triple crown: the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa Ali'i Beach Park, the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach, and the Billabong Pipeline Masters at the Bonzai Pipeline. In 2002, he won the Quicksilver, in memory of Eddie Aikau, at Waimea Bay in Oahu, Hawaii. Competition occurs there only when the surfing conditions have waves that are at least 20 feet high. He was the first surfer ever to be awarded two perfect scores under the Association of Surfing Professionals two-wave scoring system, awarded in the final heat of the Billabong Tahiti Pro Contest.

In 2005, Kelly Slater won an Association of Surfing Professionals World Title 7 years after his previous win in 1998. In 2008, he was the oldest surfer, at age 36, to win the Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship title. Kelly Slater has 39 Championship Tour victories. He holds the most Association of Surfing Professionals World Championships ever, a total of nine. He is surfing's all-time leader in career event wins and was inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame in 2002.

As was mentioned, he has established the Kelly Slater Foundation. He did that in 2007. Its purpose is to raise money and awareness for existing social causes, as were previously mentioned, and also environmentally conscious charities.

Just a few words about Florida surfing. Florida has 1,350 miles of coastline suitable for surfing. Forty percent of east coast surfing occurs in Florida. There are over a dozen popular surfing areas in Florida's 15th Congressional District. Ron Jon Surf Shop was opened in Cocoa Beach by Ron DiMenna in 1963. Now there are three such stores in Florida, South Carolina, and Canada. The Cocoa Beach location is the largest surfing store in the world.

Kelly Slater is Florida's first surfing champion and, obviously, one of the greatest surfers of all time.

For those who may not be familiar with surfing as an industry, it is an important part of our economy. According to SIMA, that's the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, even during recession and economic challenges, the surf industry remains resilient. It had $7.22 billion in sales in 2008 and considerable growth over the past several years. In 2009, Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach was named one of the 25 Best Independent Retailers by Business Week. Ron Jon employs 500 people and has over $50 million in annual revenues.

In conclusion, I state again that Kelly Slater's achievements are unprecedented. In passing this resolution, we are acknowledging his many wonderful achievements.

I want to again thank Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and over 60 other cosponsors that we have for participating in this resolution, and I urge my colleagues, each and every one, to support its passage.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 792) honoring Robert Kelly Slater for his outstanding and unprecedented achievements in the world of surfing and for being an ambassador of the sport and excellent role model, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to present H. Res. 792 for consideration. This resolution honors Robert Kelly Slater for his outstanding achievements in the world of surfing.

H. Res. 792 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Florida, Representative Bill Posey, on October 1, 2009. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it to be reported favorably by unanimous consent on May 6, 2010. This measure enjoys the support of 60 cosponsors.

Madam Speaker, Mr. Slater has accomplished a great deal in the world of amateur and professional surfing. As a teenager, he won six Eastern Surfing Association titles and four national titles. At the age of 20, he was the youngest surfer to win the Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship. He has won that title nine times in his career, another record. This year, he won the Rip Curl Pro Bell Championship for the fourth time, earning him yet another international title.

He is, in fact, the all-time leader in career event wins, but his accomplishments are not limited to tackling big waves. In 2007, he founded the Kelly Slater Foundation, an organization dedicated to raise awareness and financial support for a number of environmental and other charities.

Madam Speaker, Mr. Slater has achieved much in the world of professional surfing. Today we have the opportunity to congratulate him for his successes and to commend him for his charitable works. I thank the gentleman from Florida for introducing this measure, and I also thank Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa for their support for the bill.

I urge my colleagues to support its passage and reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank Representative Posey for bringing surfing and for bringing Mr. Slater to our attention. Both are just unbelievable.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it's been a pleasure sharing the floor with the gentleman from Georgia this afternoon, Representative Broun. I want to thank him for his comments and urge passage of this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 792, honoring Robert Kelly Slater for his outstanding and unprecedented achievements in the world of surfing.

A native of Cocoa Beach, Florida, Kelly Slater has been a dominant surfer since first learning how to surf during his childhood. As an amateur surfer, he quickly entered the spotlight, winning six Eastern Surfing Association and four national titles.

In the 1990s, he was already a household name. In 1992, he won his first Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship when he was only 20 years of age, making him the youngest person ever to win the title. From 1994 to 1998, Slater continued to rack up world titles. He won the world championship title five times in a row, for a combined nine championships. He has won more championships than any other surfer. In 2002, he became a member of the Surfers Hall of Fame.

In addition to his success in surfing competitions, Slater has appeared in commercials and television shows, as well as having a wide variety of surfing sponsorships. Throughout his entire career, Kelly Slater has continued to make surfing more popular as more people across the globe become aware of his expertise in the sport. He also created the Kelly Slater Foundation to raise money for major charities, such as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the World Skin Cancer Foundation.

Madam Speaker, Kelly Slater has continued to excite surfers across the entire country and the world. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution to honor Kelly Slater's work.

Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from Florida (Mr. Posey), the sponsor of this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.