Christie (22), who is now based at the surf mecca of Gisborne and competes for the Mahia club, is 65th in the Association of Surfing Professionals world rankings after last year's qualifying series and is the highest-ranked New Zealander.
Raglan's Billy Stairmand is 67th in the world and Gisborne's Jay Quinn is 98th.
This is the first time there has been three New Zealanders in the top 100.
"Last year was amazing. It opened my mind up to what could be achieved," Christie said.
"Our confidence levels are high, and we are looking forward to lifting our ranking again this year.
"Travelling with Jay and Bill has been awesome.
We just try and have as much fun as possible, whether it's passing a rugby ball around, ten-pin bowling or having a few beers at the right time."
His best placing on the tour was third-equal at Lacanau, France, in August, when he narrowly lost his semifinal to eventual winner Wiggolly Dantas (Brazil).
A key result came in Portugal when he finished ninth and was elevated seven places to break into the top 70.
The three highly ranked New Zealanders will provide the public with the highest standard of surfing ever seen at a major event in Dunedin.
Christie has changed his attitude to the waves over the past 12 months.
"If I see a good air section, I'll try and do an air; if I get a good wave for turns, I'll do turns," he said.
"Whatever comes to me, I'll work with it, rather than planning to surf a wave before it even comes to me."
All three surfers have won open national titles.
Stairmand is the defending champion, Quinn won at Gisborne in 2008 and Christie as a 16-year-old grommet in 2005.
Christie believes he is overdue for a second title.
"I was thinking about it the other day.
It's been a long time since I won," he said.
"I am a different surfer now, so it would be good to win this week."
Although Christie spent most of his time overseas in 2010, he is keen on gaining his second title in Dunedin, a place he calls his third home.
"I was born in Dunedin," he said.
"My brother and sister live in Dunedin, and heaps of other family."
He and Quinn also have a history of nationals success in Dunedin.
Christie won the under-16 title there in 2003 and Quinn the under-18 and under-16 crowns in 1999.
The last time Dunedin hosted the nationals in 2003, Gisborne's Blair Stewart won the open division, and he is back again.
The young guns should not be complacent because New Zealand's most successful surfer, Maz Quinn (Gisborne), will be vying for a fifth title to join Wayne Parkes and Iain Buchanan as the most prolific open winners since the nationals were first held in 1963.
In the women's division, Airini Mason (Gisborne) makes a comeback after spending the past six years with her family in Australia.
Mason was 13, the youngest winner of an open title, when she won in 2004.
She could be challenged by her younger sister Sarah.
Twenty-three national titles will be contested in the next four days, with premier open men's and women's being the feature events.
Age-group categories range from under-14 to veterans over 50, and there will be kneeboard and bodyboard events.
