COCOA BEACH, FL – June 20, 2011, AAU National Surfing Championships hosted by Slater Brothers Surf Company and Space Coast Sports Promotions, will take place this August 13 & 14. The contest, presented by Sun Bum, will be held behind "Coconuts on the Beach". This annual event welcomes all amateur surfers of all ages to compete. The AAU National Surfing Championships also welcomes high school surf teams, college surf teams and open surf teams composed of four person tag teams.

At stake....competitors battle it out for eight invitational slots that are up for grabs each year for "The Slater Brothers Invitational" which is scheduled on October 27-30. Invitations go to the finalists in both the open shortboard and open longboard divisions. The invitations are personally handed-out to the finalists at the awards ceremony by Sean and Skippy Slater. "This is the last year this annual contest will be open to anyone. Next year’s event will be held for those who qualify from selected qualifying events. We’re really trying to develop the relatively newly formed AAU Surfing into an organization that promotes amateur surfing around the country. The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is a well-respected, non-profit multi-sport organization that has been around since 1888 to promote the development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. We’re excited about the future of the AAU Surfing and helping to take it to the next level," commented Sean Slater, contest Director.

AAU Surfing also welcomes the Eastern Surfing Association (ESA) and Texas Gulf Surfing Association (TGSA) as participating members of AAU Surfing and will be participating in the 2011 AAU National Surfing Championships. ESA Director, Debbie Hodges states her enthusiasm," This year is going to be an exciting beginning for the AUU, ESA, TGSA and Slater Brothers Invitational. This being the first year, we are looking forward to only enhancing the event each and every year."

The 2011 AAU National Surfing Championships provides an opportunity for any surfer to compete with some top ASP surfers along with other talented world-class surfers.

As a relatively new AAU sport, AAU Surfing has been making its presence with its annual national surfing championship event for the last six years. Organizers of AAU Surfing are currently working on implementing district directors around the U.S. to help grow the organization’s presence and available benefits the AAU has to offer all of its members. Rusty Buchanan, AAU National Surfing Director, feels the AAU organization can really add to the sport of surfing with the credibility and benefits the AAU has to offer, "The AAU is an organization that has been around since 1888 to help promote amateur athletics. With the longevity, credibility, and membership benefits the AAU organization brings to the sport of surfing, we’re hoping the enthusiasm for competitive surfing continues to grow," Buchanan stated.

Registration deadline for this event is August 1, 2011 and registration information is located at www.aausurfing.com or at www.spacecoastsports.com/aausurf2011. Competitors may also late-register at the registration party taking place Friday, August 12 at Tournaments Family Eatery in Cocoa Beach, Florida from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. There is also an opportunity to register at the event, but available spots are not guaranteed and are limited.

All entries must hold a current AAU membership. Those who competed in the 2010 AAU National Surfing Champions will still be a current member at the time of this years’ event because it is being held at an earlier date than last year. This membership is valid from September 1 to August 31. Non-members may go to www.aausurfing.org to obtain a membership card.

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer, sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.

The AAU was founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in amateur sport. During its early years the AAU served as a leader in international sport representing the U.S. in the international sports federations. The AAU worked closely with the Olympic movement to prepare athletes for the Olympic games. After the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, the AAU has focused its efforts into providing sports programs for all participants of all ages beginning at the grass roots level. The philosophy of "Sports for All, Forever," is shared by over 500,000 participants and over 50,000 volunteers. The AAU is divided into 56 distinct Districts. These Districts annually sanction more than 34 sports programs, 250 national championships, and over 30,000 age division events.

Programs offered by the AAU include: AAU Sports Program, AAU Junior Olympic Games, AAU James E. Sullivan Memorial Award, and the AAU Complete Athlete Program. In addition, the President's Challenge program is administrated on behalf of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.