It's important now to stand back for a second and appreciate that Maui's Chomp Proper crew is enjoying a (surf) cultural moment. A renaissance. An unlikely Marky-Mark-Wahlberg-in-Rock Star-or-again-in-Invincible heroism that should inspire any kid or crew with big dreams but small followings.

Chomp Proper has been Noticed -- officially, in Nike's Chosen contest, but also noticed by the surf world in general as the freakishly unsung talents they are. Thanks to the videos they're putting out (including in Taylor Steele's Innersection contest, which crew member Matt Meola won in 2010 and which fellow member Albee Layer may well take down this year), the magazine profiles and media attention they've garnered, and their humble underdog appeal, Chomp Proper is on a major roll.

The reason it's remarkable is that these guys are not, say, 12 years old -- the age at which most surf notables emerge from out of nowhere to wide acclaim. Surfing hunts and loves and spoils its prodigies, its Kolohe Andinos and Owen Wrights, and by 20 all the talented stones are largely turned. How often is a pro "discovered" after high school?

But in the rush to scout young potential, just as quickly are laggards booted off their rocket ship to stardom -- usually due to an injury or a bad growth spurt or a few too many comp losses. Reality strikes like a drunken marine, and few aspiring pros can rebound when the industry and media turn their backs -- when they're no longer hot preteen product on the verge of a breakout.

Enter Chomp Proper.

Three of the crew's members -- Dege O'Connell, Hank Gaskell and Albee Layer -- are former grom darlings. They all made NSSA Nationals finals; they had major sponsors (Quiksilver, Hurley and Billabong respectively) and bright futures. But all three missed the jump from teen phenom to big-league pro, lost their sponsors, and ended up back on Maui quietly ripping harder than ever.

For most former child surf stars, that's where the story would end. To see the guys turning heads now after a hiatus from the gravy train is both unusual and refreshing. It's possible after all. The dream doesn't die at 17.

Chomp Proper member Matt Meola, meanwhile, is on a whole different post-prodigy trip. He got a late start, skating as a kid while his peers were already gathering passport stamps and amateur titles, and even after he turned to surfing there was no easy on-ramp to the big show.

"I was 15 or 16 when I did my first year of NSSA and I never really did that well," Matt told SURFING Magazine last year, "and then as I got a little bit older I just realized it wasn't for me."

It wasn't really until Matt's homegrown skills appeared online in a 2010 video clip that things picked up steam. He won Steele's Innersection competition and $100,000, got a new sponsor, and cemented himself among the ranks of the young and hyper-progressive. In a year of big stories for surfing, Matt was one of the biggest.

Now, Nike's Chosen contest is a chance for the Chomp Proper boys to chalk up another guerrilla success. But even if they don't get tapped to win -- only one crew will, after all -- they've already made a statement and a heap of new fans, and nobody's underestimating them anymore. What's next is anyone's guess. It's not even winter yet.