Defending world surfing champion Mick Fanning and seven other Australians breezed into the third round of the Billabong Pro in Tahiti on Tuesday, but the news wasn't so great for one local wildcard.
Taumata Puhetini was hospitalised after an awkward wipeout at the infamous Teahupo'o reef break in his second-round heat.
The Tahitian was sent for scans in a stable condition and was said to be in good spirits.
Three-to-five metre waves greeted the world's best on the opening day of event No.7 on the 10-stop tour - the biggest surf of the season.
Eleven-time champion Kelly Slater kicked things off in perfect conditions, winning his first-round heat as his two rivals were swallowed up by the massive swell.
Fanning followed it up with a clinic of his own, tallying a near-perfect total of 18.16 to secure the win and direct entry into the third round.
"The conditions are flawless," Fanning said.
"We can't ask for anything better and I was stoked to get some good ones. It's so clean and perfect here and that wave I got was a dream."
Countryman Kai Otton narrowly bettered Fanning in the last of the opening heats to post the biggest score of the day with an impressive 18.24.
He joins last year's event winner Adrian Buchan, Joel Parkinson, Nathan Hedge, Taj Burrow, Dion Atkinson, Owen Wright and Fanning as the other Australians in round three.
Parkinson and Hedge were relegated to a second-round eliminator after being toppled by Buchan in their opening heat.
Parkinson advanced following Puhetini's unfortunate exit, while Hedge progressed on the back of the competition's first perfect 10.
Current world No.1 Gabriel Medina also earned a direct pass to the third round after getting the better of Puhetini and Australian rookie Mitch Crews.
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