Phillip Island surfer Glyndyn Ringrose bowed out of the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach but the 44-year-old cancer survivor felt like a winner.
Competing in his first world championship tour event in 17 years, Ringrose claimed a wildcard for Bells with a surprise win at last week's Visit Victoria contest.
His heart-warming comeback to the World Surf League ended in a one-sided 18.40 to 8.83 loss to South Africa's Jordy Smith in Sunday's round-two heat.
But hometown hero Ringrose was all smiles as he was chaired off the beach by friends.
"Here I am at 44, and the cancer thing definitely did spur me on," Ringrose said.
"I encourage anyone if you do have any issues, don't be ashamed. Go ahead and get tested and go see doctors, because life's just so much more worth living than giving up and letting go."
Ringrose, who was on the pro tour in 1999 and 2000, was shocked when he heard the initial diagnosis.
He received strong support from family and friends and has a renewed perspective on life since undergoing successful surgery.
"Luckily with your testicles when they operate and take it out, it's usually contained within it, so now all I have to do is regular surveillance and blood tests," he said.
"That really made me think that life is more than this, and that spurred me on to really try hard and give it a good go."
The first seven second-round heats were held at the Bowl before organisers moved the remaining five heats to nearby Winkipop due to changing conditions.
Joining Smith in round three was Australia's three-time Bells Beach champion Joel Parkinson, who beat Brazilian teenager Samuel Pupo.
"I guess I'm suited to the wave, but I've got a strategy and I haven't really changed it since the day I first turned up and surfed it," Parkinson said.
Three-time world champion Mick Fanning produced arguably his best form of the season, cruising into round three with a convincing win over Australia's 2016 junior world champion Ethan Ewing.
Fanning, who is 22nd on the WSL rankings after two rounds, looked strong as he racked up scores of 9.20 and 9.00.
Hawaiian Sebastian Zietz progressed to round three after narrowly beating Italy's Leonardo Fioravanti 16.93 to 16.84 in a high quality heat.
Also advancing to round three was Hawaii's Ezekiel Lau, who knocked out American Conner Coffin 18.40 to 16.40.
Australia's Connor O'Leary beat Brazil's Jadsen Andre, though fellow Aussie Josh Kerr lost a closely fought heat to Frenchman Joan Duru.
Stuart Kennedy and Bede Durbidge meet in an all-Australian round two heat, while Gold Coast surfer Jack Freestone takes on France's Jeremy Flores in the final heat of the day.
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