Strange as it may sound, Asher didn't want to go on this trip. He has to leave his wife Apryle and three-year-old daughter Addison at home in Jacksonville Beach, FL, for at least half the year, every year, and it's easy to see how hard it is on him not being with them. Any chance to text message or iChat with the wife, and there's nothing else you'll find him doing. After this trip, Asher had six days at home before heading off once again to South Africa, California, Japan, England, France, Portugal, and the Canaries, then to Brazil for the third time this year, and off to Hawaii for the last leg of the WQS. All that in hopes of finally qualifying for the WCT "Dream Tour," which could financially help the Nolan household, but certainly wouldn't make his travel schedule any lighter. Make no mistake: Pro surfing is a job, and no one defines "professional" these days like Asher.

Everything you've heard about Ben Bourgeois is true. Yes, girls are attracted to him like the moon is to the earth. True, he was on the WCT for two years and has been on the bubble to re-qualify ever since. What you might not have heard is how his career has pretty much made him homeless. The guy spends about as much time at home in Wrightsville as Kelly Slater does in Cocoa Beach. Where Asher will do whatever he can to make it back to his wife and daughter, Ben will do the opposite and extend or redirect his ticket. His itinerary for this trip read, "LA to Singapore, Singapore to Padang, Padang to Bali, Bali to Singapore, Singapore to South Africa and back, then back to LA," where he would stay for two days before returning to North Carolina for the Reef/ Sweetwater Pro-Am. Ben is a true nomad, because that's all he knows.

"Blake, do you ever shut up?" asked Jesse Hines one night in the boat cabin. True, Blake never seems to shut up, but that's why everyone likes him so much. Blake doesn't actually have everything riding on his surfing, although his skills speak for themselves. But he also has one of those unique personalities which can allow him to make a living from surfing, without having to worry about making a heat. Just when people were questioning what he would do when it's time to sack up, he charged the biggest wave of the trip at Lance's Right. Never mind that he ate shit and got flipped around for about 100 yards underwater. Blake wants it bad, and he wants to serve as an example to those coming up behind him, claiming "I gotta get me. And while I'm gettin' me, you should be in the process of gettin' you."

Alek's enjoyed somewhat of a media explosion over the past year. It seems like every month he's popping up in another surf mag from a trip he took to Italy, Indo, Israel, the Caribbean, Panama... Unless you're WCT talent, that just doesn't usually happen, especially to an East Coaster. He's also committed to making a surf video. And since good footage doesn't shoot itself, Alek's been breaking the bank to pay for a videographer, Jerry Ricciotti, to travel the world with him and other East Coast pros to insure that every clip gets captured. It all comes down to a simple equation: ambition + motivation + perseverance = success. What Alek's doing should be a wake-up call to all these so-called "pro surfers" who lollygag around their homebreak shooting photos once a month, then call up the magazines complaining that they don't get enough shots run.

Jesse Hines leads a life much like any other wholesome, blue-collar Outer Banker -- hardworking, family-oriented, God-loving, simple-living... He just so happens to also make ends meet by cashing checks as a professional surfer. Jesse would never tell you this, but he's known as one of the smoothest, hardest-charging guys on our coast. And that's scary because he's just now starting to hit his stride with contest wins, multiple international surf mag covershots, beaucoup video exposure... But when he's at home in Kitty Hawk, NC, you can find him working a construction job just like anyone else there. He's a genuinely down-to-earth guy in a sport that's awash in oversized egos.