Jordy Smith, the self-described "absolute surf dog", is having his day.
The South African has returned to Bells Beach on a high, having won the previous round of the World Surf League at El Salvador.
It was his first WSL win since 2017 - the only time the 37-year-old tour veteran has won the Rip Curl Pro.
Smith and his father Graham, who shaped the board he rode to victory in El Salvador, first visited Bells Beach 25 years ago.
It's fair to say, as Smith prepares for competition to resume at Bells, that he's in a happy place.
Asked about his conversation with his father after the El Salvador final, Smith said: "I don't think we spoke much - I think it was just crying, pretty much. He was pretty stoked, just tears of joy.
"I haven't been in a position like this for quite some time, so I'm buzzed."
Smith says his secret is simple - keep showing up.
"I'm an absolute surf dog, a surf frother at heart, and that's what it's about for me," he said.
"I love to surf. I'm 20 years older than some of the people on tour, so I try to just have them inspire me and push me. That's all I can really ask for and I just keep swinging.
"I have a sort of a happy-go-lucky mindset and at the same time, I keep showing up, doing the work.
"Eventually if you knock for long enough, someone is going to open that door."
His El Salvador win puts Smith fifth in the WSL rankings after four rounds. He has never won the world title, but another strong performance at Bells Beach would further solidify his season.
"I've had such a good relationship with Bells in the past and obviously, every day is a new day. You work hard for that day and hopefully it comes out your way," he said.
"With the timeframe between (WSL event) wins, it just made it such a big one.
"Anything can happen and you really just have to put your best performance in on that day. That is it. You can't think too far into the future or what happened in the past."
Smith says his first visit to Bells Beach as a 12-year-old with his dad remains one of the greatest experiences of his life.
"It was the one place in Australia where I really, really wanted to go," he said.
"We saved up for four years to get here and we did it. It was insane.
"In a strange way, a lot has changed, but a lot has stayed the same. It's very cool how the environment is very similar, if not exactly the same as when I was 12.
"Every time I come back, it's such a familiar place to me. It reboots your soul, gets you ready for the rest of the year."
Smith has the most heat wins at Bells Beach of any man or woman currently on the tour, with 41.
He and his fellow competitors have been kept waiting, with the event again on hold for Easter Monday.
Poor conditions have meant no competition since the women's opening round and one heat for the men on Good Friday, which was the first day of the Rip Curl Pro window.
But conditions are expected to improve on Tuesday, when the men's first round will continue.
Smith will face Australian George Pittar and Brazilian Edgard Groggia in heat three.
