Defending world champion Molly Picklum was eliminated but fellow Aussie Stephanie Gilmore shook off some rust to barrel her way into the semi-finals of the Gold Coast Pro.
Gilmore, back on the surfing tour full-time for the first time since 2023, endured disappointing 17th-placed finishes at Bells Beach and Margaret River Pro to start the season.
But Snapper Rocks is looming as the place for the eight-time world champion to find her mojo again.
Gilmore (11.67) edged past Bettylou Sakura Johnson (11.53) in a nerve-jangling second-round heat on Sunday morning.
After scraping through that, Gilmore conceded she was still scratchy and in need of some barrels.
Those barrels arrived in her quarter-final showdown with 2024 world champion Caitlin Simmers later in the day.
Gilmore's first wave was a thing of beauty, pulling off three turns before tucking in for a four-second barrel wave to earn a 7.83 score.
The 38-year-old got another barrel later in the heat to seal the win, setting up a semi-final showdown against Nadia Erostarbe, who upset Gabriela Bryan.
Finals day is expected to be run on Monday.
"I'm stoked," Gilmore said after taming the four- to six-foot conditions.
"The whole heat, I was like 'I'm finally putting a heat together'. It's taken me this long to do it.
"The whole time I was thinking 'Caitlin can get a 10 behind the rocks no problem'.
"It's the best thing ever - to be in a heat where you're having fun and surfing the best you can, but you know your competitor can put down that score.
"It's a really exhilarating feeling. You're on edge the whole time."
Gilmore was the only Australian woman to make it to the final four after Picklum was knocked out by American Sawyer Lindblad in their quarter-final.
On the men's side, Jack Robinson's disappointing start to the season continued when the Olympic silver medallist lost in the third round.
Following early exits at Bells Beach and Margaret River, Robinson needed a big result when he faced Italian Leonardo Fioravanti at Snapper Rocks on Sunday.
In a thrilling finish, Robinson needed a daunting 8.10 score when he set off on his final wave with just 30 seconds remaining.
Robinson pulled off a layback throwtail, a big vertical and a couple of frontside floaters, but the wave wasn't big enough to produce a standout finish and he ended with a score of 7.50.
The news was much better for Ethan Ewing, who pulled off a nine-point ride to move into the quarter-finals with a win over Italo Ferreira.
But Margaret River Pro winner George Pittar was knocked out by fellow Australian Liam O'Brien.
Filipe Toledo pulled off the best moves of the day, with his two-wave total of 18.94 sending fellow Brazilian Gabriel Medina packing.
