Where there's Kelly Slater there's cameras. Local TV stations aired daily reports on the event helping to raise the awareness of the World Skin Cancer Foundation.

Read about the Rise and Rise of Kelly Slater by ASP President Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew

The Inaugural Sean Slater Invitational presented by RON JON was a HUGE SUCCESS to put it bluntly. The $10,000 event consisted of an invite only field of 36 surfers which so happen to include recently crowned 8X World Champion and Cocoa Beach home boy Kelly Slater.

Kelly was fresh off the plane from Europe when he walked in the front door of Ron Jon Surf Shop. Awaiting him were hundreds of fans and friends all eager to get his autograph and congratulate him on his latest accomplishment. What started off as a fund raiser for the World Skin Cancer Foundation also turned into a homecoming of some sorts for the 34 year old athlete.

Although the surf was kind of marginal during most of the event it was still quite contestable with waves ranging from one to three feet. The winner of the event was 18 year old Marshal Alberga who one week earlier had won the Gold Medal at the AAU National Championships at the same beach earning him a slot in the Sean Slater Invitational. I don't think even he envisioned that he'd be meeting Kelly Slater and Shea Lopez in the finals and taking first from those top notch pro's.