Before Hawai'i's best young surfers can take on the rest of the nation, they have to take on each other.

Most years, the "Hawai'i Regional" is as tough to win as the "Nationals."

"Actually, most of the guys I surf against here is the same guys I'll see in the finals at nationals," Campbell High freshman Keanu Asing said. "The only difference is you get some of the best guys from the rest of the U.S.A. at nationals, so that makes it harder."

The Hawai'i Regional Championships of the National Scholastic Surfing Association is running this week at Kewalo Basin. More than 120 surfers from around the state are competing.

The top surfers from this week's competition will receive invitations to represent Hawai'i at the NSSA National Championships, June 18 to 29, at San Clemente, Calif.

"The NSSA Nationals is the biggest event for the kids now," said Bobbi Lee, director of the NSSA Hawai'i Region. "And this is the best way to get them ready. The kids who do well at regionals usually do well at nationals."

The NSSA features competition in various age groups for students of all ages.

It is a separate event from the Department of Education-sanctioned high school meet that took place Sunday at Ma'ili Point.

Although the NSSA is not sanctioned by the DOE, it does follow academic guidelines.

"The kids have to maintain a 2.0 (grade point average) if they want to surf," said Tommy Asing, a coach for the Fox and Local Motion sponsored surfers. "The high school competition that came up is great, but this is different. This is actually bigger because the kids get to go up against the rest of the nation."

What's more, the surfers who fare well at the national championships are often rewarded with sponsorships from surf-related companies.

"There's at least three or four kids from Hawai'i in every division who could win at nationals," said David Shipley, who is the head judge of this week's regional competition. "We'll have to see how the surf is up there in California, but even in the small surf, these kids perform."

Kaua'i's Nage Melamed qualified for three finals yesterday — open women, explorer girls and explorer women — to assure a spot at nationals.

"I think we get to surf some of the best waves here," said Melamed, 14. "But the nationals is definitely different. There's so many people watching, so many good surfers. It's really a big thing to make it there."

Some regional finals were completed yesterday, but results will not be announced until later this week.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.