Watch a Fierce, All-American Battle For the Women's Surfing World Title — and the Olympics

Ranked No. 1 in the world, Carissa Moore has already won the world title three times, most recently in 2015. She's had a few disappointing years in the interim, with lower finishes that, in retrospect, she said she's grateful for. "For every athlete, you go through your ups and your downs. There are times where you have to redefine yourself and refocus and remotivate," Carissa said. "It can be a bit frustrating, but looking back, it's definitely given me a new perspective."

As for 2019, Carissa said, "I've never been in a world title race with two other girls and have it be so close and have so much on the line." After a slow start, she's finished in the top three in each of the last six events. Carissa, who was born in Honolulu, has developed a reputation for dominating this final contest, the Maui Pro; she's currently the defending champion.

Carissa said that she's stressed about the tight race, but that her excitement outweighs the nerves. "I care. Caroline and Lakey — we all care," she said. "We've all worked really hard for it, but I'm more excited than freaked out . . . I'm beyond grateful to be in the position to fight for a world title." To make the Olympic team on top of that, she said, would be "an honor and a dream come true."

Carissa competing at the 2019 ISA World Surfing Games.

A world title race at the last event of the season? It's familiar territory for Lakey Peterson. She also entered last year's Maui Pro ranked second, also with a shot at becoming the world champion, but a disappointing 13th-place finish dropped her out of contention early. To bounce back, Lakey took an honest but positive approach.

"Last year was a first for me," she said. "It just spun out of control in my head." She told POPSUGAR that, looking back, there was something to be said about coming so close to her dream and falling short. "It was more motivating than ever to come back and be like, 'Gosh, I was so close,'" Lakey said. "It's sort of just a game of inches. When you look back at the whole year, it's like you're one heat away, or you're two waves away potentially from getting a world title. I think it made me more hungry than ever to come back better."

Now in the middle of yet another tight title race, Lakey said she's nervous, but also excited and confident. "The reason we work so hard, and the reason I put so much into it, is to be in this position that I'm in right now, with a shot at the world title and the Olympics."

Lakey surfing at the 2018 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast.

Caroline Marks said that 2019 has been the best year of her life, and it's easy to see why. In her second year on the Championship Tour, the 17-year-old has already won two events and is sitting in third place going into the last contest. Before the season, her goals were to win one event and finish in the top five.

"It's been an incredible year and I'm surpassing my expectations, so I'm pretty stoked," she told POPSUGAR. "But at the same time, I really want to win. I'm not satisfied."

The way Caroline sees it, she has nothing to lose. Being so young, she knows she'll have potentially years ahead of her in which to qualify for the Olympics, something she's dreamed of since she was a kid. For the world title, she's going head-to-head with two of her childhood heroes. But none of that intimidates her or dims her determination. "I definitely want to be in the Olympics," she said. "I'm trying my hardest and I'm here to win."

Caroline surfing the Vans US Open of Surfing 2019.