Veteran Sally Fitzgibbons has taken down a pair of big-name Americans to claim a confidence-boosting first heat win of the 2025 World Surf League season as action got under way at famed Supertubos.
Fitzgibbons, 34, put together a two-wave score of 10.73 points to down former event winner Caroline Marks and Lakey Peterson and advance straight to the round of 16 at the Rip Curl Pro Portugal.
"It's pretty neat to be back in front of the glass, it's been a while," Fitzgibbons said.
"I love everything that's involved to get here on the start line, and that's definitely not going anywhere.
"I don't want to get booted off (the Championship Tour), I just love surfing too much."
Fellow Australians Tyler Wright, Molly Picklum and Isabella Nichols also avoided the cut-throat elimination round by finishing second in their three-women heats.
Wright was edged by 2022 rookie of the year Gabriela Bryan from Hawaii.
Top-ranked Australians Jack Robinson and Ethan Ewing were among the heat winners on day one of the men's competition.
Paris Olympics silver medallist Robinson (10.83) came out on top in a low-scoring contest against Frenchman Gatien Delahaye and Australian Liam O'Brien.
Ewing (13.83) dominated his heat against France's Jorgann Couzinet and Seth Moniz from Hawaii.
