Jackson Baker continues riding Surfest high with maiden Bells heat win

PURPLE PATCH: Merewether surfer Jackson Baker won his opening heat at Bells on Monday. Picture: Peter Lorimer

JACKSON Baker says it's like a "dream come true" as the Merewether surfer continued his purple patch of form by taking out his maiden heat at the iconic Bells on Monday.

Fresh from becoming the first Novocastrian to claim hometown event Surfest, tour-rookie Baker bookended his 30-minute contest with top-scoring rides to edge out two-time world champion John John Florence.

Baker posted a heat-high 7.17 in the opening exchanges before a buzzer-beating 6.6 to finish with a total of 13.77, just 0.4 ahead of former Bells winner Florence (13.37) while Connor O'Leary (9.43) was third.

The 25-year-old sits equal 23^rd on the World Surf League rankings, narrowly outside the championship's cut line, following three events and ahead of the tour's two-part Australian leg.

"It's been like a dream come true this whole year. The results haven't really gone there yet, but my surfing feels really good and my boards feel really good," Baker told WSL media.

"To get one back on John from Pipe, I'm just stoked. Just to be in the water with someone like John and my good friend Connor is a cool experience."

Despite being his first CT visit to Bells, Baker admitted some local knowledge.

"That was my first time at Bells this trip so far but I've come down here for a long time, since I was a kid," he said.

"So I know the wave really well and know some local families. Timmy Wright sent me a couple of messages on my phone and it really got me in the right spots for those waves. I'm stoked it paid off."

Baker's heat, the eighth of 12, ended up being the last with competition put on hold until Tuesday.

This means fellow Merewether surfer Morgan Cibilic, who was part of last year's WSL top-five finals in his rookie season, has yet to hit the water.

Cibilic will be pitted against Ethan Ewing and Barron Mamiya.

SOLID START: Ryan Callinan also moves into the round of 32. Picture: Peter Lorimer

Earlier on Monday, it was Merewether's Ryan Callinan opening Bells with a solid first-heat performance and progressing to the round of 32.

Goofy-footer Callinan (11.23) finished narrowly behind fellow Aussie surfer Callum Robson (11.33) after posting scores of 5.4 and 5.83.

World No.5 Seth Moniz (6.73) now faces Mick Fanning in the elimination round.

Italo Ferreira, Owen Wright, Leonardo Fioravanti, Samuel Pupo, Kanoa Igarashi and Frederico Morais also won heats on Monday.

Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater, 50, advanced as well.

It's the first time Bells has been held since 2019 with COVID causing chaos with the CT schedule over the last two years.