The return of Carissa Moore has added another level of intrigue to this year's World Surf League event at Bells Beach, with the Hawaiian great uncertain on how she will perform after almost two years out.
The five-time world champion took time away from the Championship Tour as she gave birth to her daughter Olena last year, with her return coming at a location where she has dominated.
When competition kicks off after three lay days, Moore will be joined in the water by her long-time rival as well as friend, Australia's GOAT Stephanie Gilmore, who is also making her return to full-time competition after two years off.
Moore owned the Bells bowl between 2013 and 2015, ringing the bell on the iconic trophy in three successive years, while she's also finished runner-up twice, with the most recent behind Tyler Wright in 2022.
The 33-year-old said she was approaching the event this year with no expectations.
"I'm really trying to do things differently this year, and the fact that I have overthought so much of my career in so many heats," Moore told AAP.
"One, I don't have the capacity to overthink too much anymore, but I'm also like, hey, I'm just going to do the best that I can to prepare and then I'm going to show up with a good attitude and excitement, and we'll see what happens.
"I'm so excited to get to put on a jersey again and I was out there in the water yesterday and just looking back at the golden cliffs and I was like, 'Wow, this is special, it's so special'".
Moore has been joined in Australia by her husband Luke Untermann and said one-year-old Olena had forced a change in her preparation and mind-set.
"I don't have all the time in the world to surf and train, but I'm trying to be efficient with my time.
"I think the biggest thing is I'm just happy and she reminds me to stay present."
The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist felt the biggest change to the women's tour in her absence was the improvement in the standard of surfing across the board.
"It's been so fun to be a fan the last couple of years," she said.
"I think the women, what's so exciting, is the whole field has really just risen, and so I feel everyone knows how to put a heat together and there's no easy walk-through situations."
With a revamped format that removes the non-elimination round, four heats in the men's 36-strong field - the bottom six-ranked surfers and two event wildcards - were the first to compete late on Saturday.
Newly crowned world junior champion Dane Henry beat fellow Australian Oscar Berry and Xavier Huxtable edged out Callum Robson in another all-local heat.
Brazilian Mateus Herdy beat Australian Liam O'Brien and South African Luke Thompson eliminated Morocco's Ramzi Boukhiam.
A year ago, Boukhiam suffered a serious knee injury at the same event.
The four winners advanced to round two.
