Saving the Seas Takes a Pro : Yacht Owners Team Up to Protect the Oceans they Love.

Saving the Seas Takes a Pro. That’s why the marine non-profit SeaKeepers has chosen Kelly Slater for the coveted 2011 SeaKeepers Award, given last year to HSH Prince Albert II. Environmentally mindful members of the yachting community join SeaKeepers in recognizing 10 times ASP Surfing World Champion, Kelly Slater, as he joins SeaKeepers’ campaign to raise awareness of the critical issues facing our oceans.

Kelly Slater is most notably known for his achievements in the world of surfing, but also has a deep respect for the waves he rides. Kelly’s professionalism, philanthropic work, character and style have also redefined the archetype of a surfer. He is committed to protecting the world’s oceans and its marine inhabitants, using his influence and status to educate the public about important environmental issues. He is actively involved in both local and international projects including a national PSA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) asking for global involvement in protecting our seas.

In 2007 Slater set up the Kelly Slater Foundation which works to raise awareness and financial support for existing social and environmentally conscious charities. Some of the organizations Slater’s Foundation has helped are the Surfriders Save Trestles campaign which fights an ongoing legal battle to prevent the construction of a new toll road in Orange County which threatens the historic Trestles surf break, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation “Pipeline to a Cure” which worked to raise awareness of the direct positive effect surfing has on those afflicted with Cystic Fibrosis, the LA Surf Bus which is bringing eager children and their attendants from challenging Los Angeles and Orange County neighborhoods for a day of surf at the beach, and Surfers Healing which is an organization that seeks to enrich the lives of children with Autism and the lives of their families by exposing them to the unique experience of surfing through free surf camps.

Kelly Slater’s ten world championship titles are hard-won, just as the restoration of our seas has proven to be. Slater brings determination, hard-work, and awareness to SeaKeepers’ mission to protect and restore our oceans. SeaKeepers will be celebrating recent buoy installations in the FL Keys Marine Sanctuary, as well as raising awareness of the rare and endangered Blue Fin Tuna, and educating the yachting community on the organization’s work to protect and restore the oceans we all love. Surfs Up!

About The International SeaKeepers Society^®

The International SeaKeepers Society is a not-for-profit organization focusing on health of the world’s oceans and climate. SeaKeepers’ mission is to gather critical oceanographic and atmospheric data from unique sources and distribute it to the scientific community which ultimately will guide the world to a more sustainable future. The International SeaKeepers Society is a global catalyst working with governments, scientists, industry, and other marine organizations to promote knowledge and to support sensible, achievable marine protection and restoration through science based initiatives. To learn more, please visit www.seakeepers.org

About Kelly Slater Foundation

The Kelly Slater Foundation is a registered 501(C)(3) not-for-profit public benefit corporation located in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2007 by Ten Time World Surfing Champion Kelly Slater, the foundation’s mission is to raise awareness and financial support for existing social and environmentally conscious charities. The foundation supports its efforts by hosting specialty fundraising events and through donations from corporate organizations and individual philanthropists. We provide support to both important local and International charitable causes whose goals are specific, measurable, time specific and achievable. For more information, please visit www.kellyslaterfoundation.org