To the mess of crews now crowding for attention in Nike's Chosen contest, here's a foursome that's doing it right: Dirty Harry and the Bandits. Three surfers, one filmer, longtime friendships and a badass name. Their first crew video, just a minute long and labeled a "trailer," is heavy on creativity and progression -- two of the Chosen contest's criteria for success -- both in its surfing and its dark, edgy editing style.

Here, crew leader Jason "Dirty Harry" Harris gives some background on the Bandits and their charmed life in the surf hub of coastal Orange County.

Who are Dirty Harry and the Bandits, and how old are you guys?

Jason Harris: There's myself, 22, and my buddy Sean Oates, who's 22 as well. Ryah Arthur, who's 23 I think. Then Matt Payne. He's 20. Then we have another guy who's helping Matt out. He just graduated high school but he's super good at Final Cut, kind of a little computer genius. His name's Austin Green.

Are you all from the same area, around Huntington Beach?

Yeah, we all live in Huntington except for Ryah. He's down in Laguna -- a little transplant.

How'd your crew meet and form?

We all met through middle school and high school just from surfing. I met Ryah back doing NSSAs when I was 15, 16. He'd come up [to Huntington] and surf, and he's been friends with all of us for the past five years.

Do you all surf together a lot?

Yeah, whenever there's swell. We've been surfing River Jetties a lot, Ryah will come up here for that, and then sometimes he can get us into some little Laguna nooks and crannies down there. He knows some rich buddies who live in those gated communities in Laguna. One phone call, he's straight through the gate.

What else do you guys get up to?

We'll hang out, drink a couple beers or whatever at each other's houses. Ryah will come up on the weekends and cruise, or we'll go down there. His house is like this little oasis in Laguna, tucked away with a good backyard. He's got this, like, medieval games thing back there where you can throw axes and stuff.

Real axes, or like a video game?

No, real ones. Every year, the day after Thanksgiving, his dad puts on this manly tribe games or something like that. I've never done it, but he has all the stuff in his backyard. Like, you throw axes into bales of hay, and he has big spears you can throw. Feels like you're hunting or something. It's so sick. Other than that, we'll just hang at each other's houses, maybe go skate or something.

What's each crew member doing in "real life?"

Sean is going to school at Cal State Fullerton, majoring in business. When we're not surfing or whatever, he has his captain's license for boating, for yachts. He works different jobs for boats in Newport Harbor, whether it's deck-handing or bartending, other little jobs on boats there. Other times these rich people will hit him up to drive their boats out around Coronoa Del Mar. He makes pretty good money that way.

Then Ryah works at Laguna Surf and Sport, and he's just surfing and going to online school at Saddleback [College] I think.

Matt goes to school at Long Beach State and interns for [surf filmmaker] Joe G. at Globe. Joe's so sick man, he surfs River Jetties all the time, and he's just the raddest guy. You'd never know how crazy he is at making movies. So Matt has a lot going on with them for their film 0000 right now. I'm stoked for him that he gets to do that.

Aside from Matt being the magician with the camera, what does each member bring to the crew, in and out of the water?

I'd say Sean is just really funny. He always keeps the mood light, especially if it's somewhere crowded like Trestles or something. Always sarcastic, just saying something funny. But he rips, he's got good style and is always trying to be progressive.

Then with Ryah, he's just a real good rail surfer, a power surf. And the thing with Ryah too is he's always super positive and psyched. He can always get you to go out no matter what, or to go somewhere for a swell.

Then for myself...I don't know how to answer that. [Laughs] I guess I just try to be positive and nice. Never try to get mad. I don't know.

Humble, too, which is best of all. What are your crew's plans between now and when the Chosen contest ends in six weeks?

Definitely to keep filming, and when there's swell around here to take advantage of that as best we can. If we could put the funding together I'd be stoked to put a little trip on. Maybe a couple road trips. Try to find some of those little mysto waves in Laguna. But mostly film as much as possible and try to cut together something good.

Photo: Bryce Lowe-White/Arnette