Former world champions Pam Burridge and Pauline Menczer provided highlights on an otherwise bleak opening day for Surfest's main events' window at Merewether Beach.
Day one action was called off on Monday as high south-easterly winds battered Merewether.
A call on the start of the week-long men's and women's 5000-point World Surf League qualifying series contests was initially delayed until 11am.
However, with winds in excess of 40km/h predicted to continue until at least 2pm before easing slightly, organisers decided to call off day one.
Despite the poor conditions, a 3.30pm Legends Expression Session featuring Burridge, Menczer, Jodie Cooper and Rebecca Woods went ahead.
All four are past women's champions at Surfest and they braved the weather and tricky waves for a 30-minute display.
Burridge, who won Surfest in 1988, '93 and '94 and the world championship in 1990, celebrated a nice forehand carve to finish the session.
Menczer, the 1993 world champion and '89 Surfest winner, was busy throughout and put together excellent combinations of turns.
Woods, the winner at Surfest in 2003, '04 and '06, is equal with Burridge and Sally Fitzgibbons as the women's event's only three-time champions.
Surfest's main contests are set to start on Tuesday.
