Board Riders: After finishing second to a blazing hot Pacific Vibrations team in 2005—Pac Vibes went on to win the National title that year—the Board Riders squad went into 2006 looking to avenge their runner up finish. And, with plenty of pride and an overwhelming desire to surpass past results, they did just that. Now, after a very lackluster 5th place finish at Nationals in California, the Board Riders team will need to come into 2007 and prove that their 2006 regional win wasn’t a fluke, and that they indeed deserve to represent the Hawaiian again this year on a national stage.

Pacific Vibrations: 2005 National Champs, runner up to Board Riders in Hawaii in 2006, Pac Vibes is obvious a top contender. Proving adept not only in Hawaii, this shop spanked the mainlanders at Lowers in ’05, offering up a mix of powerful, stylish surfing. Fronted by Makai McMichael, Ty McMillan, Mikey Bruneau and Casey Brown, the team dominated. But after failing to re-qualify for Nationals in 2006, questions about the team ability to repeat proved moot. This year, if they want to reclaim past glory, they need to take it one heat at a time, and advance beyond their competition in Hawaii before they start thinking about a National title.

Local Motion: Led by Keanu Asing, Evan Laeha, Tyler Newton and Ron Serikaku, Local Motion finished their romp at Kewalos Basin in third last year. Chinks in the armor of both Pacific Vibrations and Board Riders have been made evident in the past, so, the question now is: Can this team capitalize on them in 2007?