Australian surfers Bede Durbidge and Taj Burrow earned direct entry to the quarter-finals of the Rio Pro on a day when local favourite and world championship leader Gabriel Medina was eliminated in the third round.
Durbidge turned in Sunday's best performance with a two-wave score of 16.33 points out of 20 in thumping barrels that at times reached two metres.
"It was tough to draw a Brazilian here and I knew Filipe (Toledo) would be doing his airs, but I'm glad we had swell and I'm glad I got the win," said Durbidge.
"I really wanted to keep my momentum going because I had such a good heat earlier today. I feel right at home here because I grew up surfing conditions like this."
Medina fell to Travis Logie 15.5 points to 15 after the South African bagged a late 9.5-point ride, the highest single-wave score on the day.
"He was at the right spot at the right time," said Medina.
"That was just a throwaway result. Now I'll train more and get ready for the next event (in Fiji)."
Logie wasn't so lucky in the next round of three-man heats, finishing third to rookie American Nat Young and needing to win a repechage to make the quarter-finals.
South African Jordy Smith, the defending event champion, was the other winner joining Durbidge, Burrow and Young with direct entry to the quarters, pipping former world champion Joel Parkinson 11.53 to 11.24.
Fellow Australian Josh Kerr is still alive and joining Parkinson in the repechage round five along with 11-time world champion American Kelly Slater.
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