On a gloomy morning in May, Lower Trestles is bustling with surfers, spectators and families gathering for a weekend of action between the top boardriders clubs in the country. Cars line the road near the Trestles trailhead as e-bikes, walkers and locals wiz past heading to the beach. To kick things off on Thursday and Friday, west coast teams are competing in the WCBR Wheat Cup Championships, a legendary comp named in the honor of Casey Wheat, a 1988 Huntington Beach High alum who helped co-found the West Coast Boardriders Club. Then, the big show on Saturday where the top clubs from across the country will duke it out for the overall U.S. Boardriders National Championship. 

West Coast Boardriders Club and The Wheat Cup

Surf crews and cliques have been around as long as surf culture itself. Surf Clubs in California started popping up as early as the 1930s with the Corona del Mar Surf Club and the Palos Verdes Surf Club. After growing to many more cities and thriving in the 50s and 60s, clubs and meets started to fade with the changing times. That’s where Casey Wheat and a few buddies got some things going about ten years ago, inspired by the classic surf clubs and contests of old. By late 2016 the West Coast Boardriders started holding contests again in the tag-team format, bringing together surfers of all ages to compete. After passing in 2020, it’s fitting that this contest be named after Wheat and pay homage to his story as a lifelong surfer and figure in the Southern California beach community. 

Tag-Team Format

The tag team format is what makes these events interesting. It’s a combined total score of teammates in 7 divisions that range from Under 14 groms to 50+ Men, and Women’s All Ages. You have dudes in their mid-twenties hyped over the scores in a kids heat and vice-versa. The boardriders events are all about camaraderie between surf generations and getting everyone out there to compete and have a good time. But it’s competitive. The vibe on the beach is fun but you can tell that everyone is really going for it, whether you’re a young grom, mid-twenties ripper or 50+. 

Team O’Neill And The Encinitas Boardriders Club

O’Neill is proud to sponsor The Encinitas Boardriders Club alongside Hansen Surfboards, keeping everyone geared up for all the boardriders comps. We were stoked to have a few team riders competing in the events this weekend including brothers Oliver Rowe (15-19 division)  and Owen Rowe (14 and under division), Victoria Duprat (women’s all ages division) and Kaia Howard (Women’s all ages division). The Encinitas crew rolled in with high spirits, echoing their cheers from a trusty megaphone and rallying surfers from the beach with a familiar muffled yell. It was epic to see the sheer range of athletes and their families between all of the divisions. A ton of support from all sides. Pretty rad.

The WCBR Wheat Cup Championships (Thursday, May 15 – Friday, May 16)

The weekend kicked off with the West Coast Boardriders Wheat Cup, a contest honoring Casey Wheat, a Huntington Beach High alum and co-founder of the West Coast Boardriders Club. Over two days, teams representing the best of the west battled it out.

San Clemente Dominates at Home

After a ton of heats and impressive rides, the San Clemente Boardriders Club emerged victorious on their home turf with a final score of 255.87, edging out Huntington Beach Boardriders Club by a mere 19 points in the finals. Encinitas Boardriders Club put forth a solid effort, securing 4th place with standout performances from Eli Temperi, Nick Slawson, and Alyssa Spencer.

WCBR Wheat Cup Leaderboard – Final Standings

1.San Clemente Boardriders

2.Huntington Beach Boardriders

3.Santa Cruz Boardriders

4.Encinitas Boardriders

5.South Bay Boardriders

6.La Jolla Boardriders

Also, a special shoutout goes to O’Neill wetsuit mastermind and head designer John Hunter for surfing in the Wheat Cup for the Santa Cruz Boardriders team in the 50+ division! 

U.S. Boardriders National Championship: The Main Event (Saturday, May 17)

By Saturday morning, anticipation ran high as qualifying teams from across the nation converged at Lowers for a final day of action. On a heater from the day before, San Clemente Boardriders club was an obvious favorite with a solid lineup of surfers throughout the divisions. But other clubs, from the Santa Cruz Boardriders to East Coast competitors, like the Space Coast Boardriders, promised to battle it out.

Encinitas Boardriders Claim Historic First-Ever Win

In a stunning upset the Encinitas Boardriders claimed their first-ever national title, dethroning the two-time defending champions, San Clemente on their home soil. From the youngest groms in the Under-14 division to the seasoned veterans in the 50+ category, every surfer played their role in the tag-team format. Shoutout to some standout heats from Owen Rowe, Elli Temperi and Nick Marshall.

Kaia Howard’s Clutch Performance

One of the most defining moments of the day belonged to Kaia Howard. Competing in the Women’s All Ages division, Howard nailed a 9-point ride, doubling her score with a perfectly timed whammy for a huge final score. Her poise and ability to lock in under pressure tipped the scales in Encinitas’ favor and earned her the overall MVP. Well deserved!

2025 Club Leaderboard – Final Standings

Here’s how the top-ranked clubs finished at the 2025 U.S. Boardriders National Championship:

1.Encinitas Boardriders

2.San Clemente Boardriders

3.Space Coast Boardriders

4.Huntington Beach Boardriders

5.Santa Cruz Boardriders

6.Wrightsville Beach Boardriders

Wrap-Up

A huge congratulations to the Encinitas Boardriders Club for scoring their first ever national title. It was a fun weekend and awesome to watch some powerful surfing across all divisions. Seeing the older generation, groms, and everyone in-between keep the hype going and club spirit alive reminds us why these Boardriders comps are so important.

Props to all of the teams that made the trip to San Clemente and competed. Here’s to an epic weekend at Lowers and another year of great Boardriders events.