Forget that courtroom battle over who owns the “Surf City” moniker. In reality, the top surf region will be decided in the water over the next three days at the Wheat Cup specialty event and ensuing U.S. Boardriders National Championship.

Both competitions will be held at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, the same break that will host the surf competition in the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Santa Cruz Boardriders is one of nine clubs competing in the Wheat Cup on Thursday and Friday. The top four clubs overall advance to the national championships on Saturday.

“It’s gonna be a fun week competing with the Santa Cruz Boardriders Club down at Lower Trestles,” said Santa Cruz’s Nat Young, who compete professionally in the World Surf League. “I’m excited for the team concept which is different than a regular surf contest, and also to compete and represent Santa Cruz on a national level and try to win our very first national title.”

Young competes in the 30-39 division with teammates Shaun Burns, Austin Smith Ford, and Matt Myers.

Also in the mix at the Wheat Cup are defending national champion San Clemente Boardriders, Huntington Beach Boardriders, Encinitas Boardriders, Newport Beach Boardriders, South Bay Boardriders, Dana Point Surf Club, La Jolla Boardriders, and Central Coast Boardriders.

“Always stoked to pull on the jersey and paddle out with the crew, representing your club, your coast, and your community,” said local legend Peter Mel, who competes for Santa Cruz Boardriders. “These events are such a blast, especially sharing the lineup with so many legends of the sport. Massive respect to everyone who makes these events happen. This is what surf culture is all about: camaraderie, commitment, and competition. Let’s gooo!”

Mel, who was inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach in 2022, competes for Santa Cruz in the 50 and up division with teammates Josh Loya, Shane Desmond, and John Hunter.

The Wheat Cup is named in the honor of Casey Wheat, a 1988 Huntington Beach High alum who helped co-found the West Coast Boardriders Club. Wheat died in 2020.

Club members, who earned their competition spots through a trials, must either be born and raised in their club’s jurisdiction, attended school in the jurisdiction, or have five years of residency.

The Wheat Cup features seven divisions with four team members surfing in each division (U14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50 and up, and women, any age). That means the sports’ up-and-comer groms and uber talented women are competing for the same cause as pros, former pros and legends from their region.

Though each club has four surfers competing in each division, only one surfer can be in the water at any given time. That means that competitors must return to the beach and tag in a team member to take over during each heat’s one-hour duration. It’s a WWE Battle Royale in the ocean, minus the body slams.

Forecasts call for waves in the 3- to 5-foot range, great for plenty of aerial maneuvers and power turns.

“Boardriders events are the best,” said Max St. Denis, who competes for Santa Cruz in the 15-19 division with teammates Brody Price, James Daniel, and Adam Bartlett. “Everyone is always so stoked to be there, it’s super cool to have such a passionate team. I’m so stoked for the upcoming Wheat Cup and possible US Boardriders Championship spot, I always love these events, and it’s a great opportunity to represent Santa Cruz. We have the best community, so to be able to be apart of it through boardriders is epic.”

Surfers are scored by judges in similar fashion to the criteria used on the WSL. Instead of counting two wave scores, each surfers must produce three wave scores and each competitor has the opportunity to designate a “whammy” wave, which doubles their wave score.

Twenty-eight of Santa Cruz’s best help make up the Santa Cruz Boardriders team. Its roster also features: Autumn Hayes, Kaikoura Nauenberg, Isla Hardy, and Keanna Miller (women), Xander Brown, Gustavo and Mateo Barthelmess, and Kai Dollar (U14), Sam Coffey, Richie Schmidt, Alessandro “Alo” Slebir, and Austin Laurence (20-29), and Bud Freitas, Randy Bonds, Jesse Colombo, and Tyler Fox (40-49).

Count Miller among those who are excited to compete.

“It’s such a special event that brings all the clubs together, and it always has the best atmosphere,” she said. “We have a great team and will be looking to qualify for the U.S. Boardriders Championships … and possibly bring the national title home to Santa Cruz!”

North Shore Hawaii Boardriders, Jacksonville Boardriders, Wrightsville Beach Boardriders, Cape May County Boardriders, and West Coast Boardriders already have spots secured in the U.S. Boardriders National Championship.

There are nearly 500 boardrider clubs worldwide. The top 48 advance to the fifth annual World Club Challenge at Snapper Rocks, off the coast of Coolangatta, Australia, on Jan. 17-19.