Merewether surfer Ryan Callinan will return to the scene of his greatest triumph when he tries to lock in a comeback to the Championship Tour at the Ericeira Pro in Portugal from this weekend.
The 30-year-old is already in a strong position to finish top 10 on the second-tier Challenger Series and requalify for the CT, after dropping off in the mid-season cut this year.
He sits fourth with a runner-up finish at the Sydney Surf Pro and quarter-final exit at the most recent event - the US Open of Surfing - to put into his best four results that make up his final tally.
With three events remaining, one more finals performance should cement his place on the 2023 CT.
And given his history at the Ribeira D'Ilhas break at Ericeira, Callinan was excited about the chances of getting it done sooner rather than later.
Like this year, Callinan went to the 10,000-point qualifying series contest in 2018 in an excellent position to qualify.
The goofy-footer went on to beat that year's world champion, Brazilian Gabriel Medina, on his way to the final against Kanoa Igarashi, who he edged out 15.13 to 14.94.
"I'm looking forward to going over there again," Callinan said.
"I actually haven't been back since I won, so it will be cool to go and surf there again."
Merewether clubmate Jackson Baker has also thrived at the break, finishing runner-up there last year to help him qualify for his first CT season.
"It's a fun wave but it's not unbelievable," Callinan said.
"But there's some really nice ones around there.
"It's kind of like a longer style of Bells, something like that, and it can get really fun.
"And obviously with Jacko doing well there last year, there's something about Merewether people and that wave."
Merewether's Morgan Cibilic is in greater need of a result at Ericeira. The 2021 world No.5 and rookie of the year sits 19th on the CS.
After also missing the mid-season cut, Cibilic started with two round of 16 performances on the CS but has since bowed out twice in round two.
In the women's event, Newcastle-based South African Sarah Baum (17th) and Merewether's Philippa Anderson (31st) need big results to challenge for a top-five qualifying position.
The competition window for the contest opens on Saturday evening (AEST) but bigger swells are forecast to hit on Sunday.
Following the Portugal event, the CS concludes with the Saquarema Pro in Brazil from November 1-8 and the Haleiwa Challenger in Hawaii from November 26 to December 7.
