MORGAN Cibilic and Ryan Callinan wrapped themselves in the "Newy" flag yesterday and surfed their way to a quarter-final showdown that only one can win in a magic day of sun, sand and waves that Merewether looking better than a Hollywood movie set.
But it was late in the afternoon that Hawaiian reigning world women's champion Carissa Moore sent the excitement levels off the meter when she punted and made what's been called the biggest aerial manoeuvre ever seen in women's competition surfing.
That's a big claim, but when she landed it perfectly and rode out to a wild ovation it was hard to tell who was the most surprised and excited - the big crowd lapping up the hi-fi women's surfing on the glassy hollow shorebreak or Moore herself.
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Ryan through to the quarters for mate on mate showdown
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All our SURFING coverage: Newcastle Cup and the Hunter's best ever surfers
It wasn't a claim so much as a genuine reaction of shock as she clasped her hands to her head in shocked amazement.
Getting into the air is one thing. Landing and surfing out the wave is even harder and the crowd went absolutely nuts.
"I just felt really good. I never really land those things, especially in a heat," Moore said.
She was trailing Frenchwoman Johanne Defay before this wave, and went on to win 17.33 to 14.1.
She faces US surfer Caroline Marks in one semi, with Aussies Isabella Nichols and Keely Andrew in the other.
T'S the match-up that's come two steps too early for the hometown supporters.
Merewether clubmates Morgan Cibilic and Ryan Callinan in the second quarter-final of the men's side of the Newcastle Cup - the only two Aussies left alongside a Yank and five Brazilians.
One must fall, and one has the chance to capitalise on his semi-final appearance and maybe go all the way.
It's jubilation and heartbreak at once for the Merewether Surfboard Club, whose members were out in force yesterday to cheer their heroes to victory.
Merewether club president Craig Long said the club would be right behind both surfers.
With Morgan joining the tour this year, it's the first time Merewether has had two Championship Tour competitors since greats Luke Egan and Matt Hoy were high up in the world rankings.
Cibilic demolished another solid natural footer in Wade Carmichael from the Central Coast, 16.00 points to 10.33, while Callinan had a narrower but very clear win over fellow goofy-foot Owen Wright in the following round-of-16 heat, 13.87 to 12.07.
An excited but relieved Callinan said afterwards it had been "nerve-wracking" to surf against someone who was "a hero of mine".
Callinan's early fame came as an aerial surfer but his power turns yesterday were hard and super fast and the showdown with the natural footed Cibilic will necessarily be a study in contrasts.
Filmmaker Jack McCoy had his Civic Theatre show on Thursday night with surfing's original "Raging Bull", Mark Occhilupo, and maybe it's just their square jaws and similarly muscled builds but Cibilic is surfing a lot like an Occy in reverse right now.
The World Surf League had high praise for Cibilic too, saying he was "on a roll and surfing the heats of his young career, all with an injured foot".
"His approach was rooted in surfing fundamentals - some big, powerful turns in critical sections, rather than above-the-lip manoeuvres - but he's doing it with such flair and confidence that right now, he's the form surfer of the event," WSL says.
Officials will make a call on resumption at 6.45am today. Swellnet.com's charts last night showed favourable offshore winds and "head high" waves today and the final available day, tomorrow.
But if the competitors and officials did a late surf check before hitting the pillow they would have seen a sou-easter had blown in, somewhat unexpectedly, blowing at 30 kilometres an hour at 11 last night at Nobbys.
What it will have done to yesterday's groomed conditions depends on whether it blew all night, or whether the predicted westerlies returned to clean it up.
Whatever happens, Swellnet is predicting Monday's surf to be "double overhead" with offshore winds.
Too late for the Newcastle Cup. but just in time for the returning locals . . .
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