Bay of Plenty's junior surfing contingent will have its work cut out this week as it eyes an unprecedented fifth title in six years at the 2014 National Scholastic Surfing Championships.

Running from today through to Friday, the West Coast swells in Taranaki play host to the annual event, aimed at ushering in a second generation of contestants progressing through the scholastic pathway.

Bay of Plenty surfer Kea Smith. Photo: Jwan Milek.

Taking to the water are surfers from nine regions; Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Taranaki, Canterbury and Dunedin/Southland.

Surfers will vie for individual titles across eight divisions as well as the all-important team's trophy that has been awarded 25 times.

And all eyes will be firmly on defending champions the Bay of Plenty, who have won four of the last five events and again look like favourites on paper.

Among the chasing pack are Taranaki, Auckland and Canterbury, with the Taranaki locals hoping for inside knowledge to help push towards the title.

The Adam Clegg Trophies for the most improved male and female surfers at the event will be handed out for the second time at the National Scholastic Championships.

After being named to compete for Taranaki in 2014, Clegg's life was tragically cut short by a debilitating virus.

In 2013 the combined award, handed out in Adam's honour, was won by Gisborne's Ben McCulloch after being voted most improved by his fellow competitors.

The swell forecast for the week looks promising with a solid but fading swell to start the event before an increase through the middle of the week.

This precedes the next major westerly storm. With offshore winds forecast for the first part of the week, the surfing will roll out thick and fast.

It is the sixth time the National Scholastic Surfing Championships have ventured to the Taranaki region and tasted some quality West Coast waves.

The event was first hosted in the region in 1993 before returning in 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2012.

The prestigious five-day surfing event caters for the most talented school-based surfers in New Zealand with eight divisions contested – Under 18, 16 and 14 Boys and girls as well as Under 18 Longboard and Under 18 Bodyboard.

The National Scholastic Championships uses a second chance format where all surfers get the opportunity to compete at least twice before facing elimination from the event.

Dating back to 1989 when the first event was held at Raglan, regional teams of surfers from throughout New Zealand have come together to contest the esteemed event.