Local favourite Mick Fanning is the last man standing from world surfing's top six going into the quarter-finals of the season opening tour event on the Gold Coast.
In a bumper day of action on Thursday at Snapper Rocks, the quarter-finalists were decided with three-time world champion Fanning set to get a major headstart on his rivals in this year's title race.
Reigning world champion Gabriel Medina spat the dummy after his third round elimination by NSW-born Irishman Glenn Hall while 11-time world champion Kelly Slater and local big gun Joel Parkinson were also knocked out on a day of upsets.
Last year's world no.3 John John Florence was also eliminated by local surfer Mitch Parkinson to leave Fanning as the only man from the world's top six in the competition's quarter-finals.
The 33-year-old Australian beat American Dusty Payne in the morning's third round before earning a direct spot in the last eight with a fourth-round victory over compatriot Bede Durbidge and Brazilian Adriano de Souza.
He'll face de Souza again in the quarters after the latter overcame Parkinson in the fifth round.
Despite being handed a chance to take an early lead over his rivals, Fanning said it was too early in the year for Thursday's results to really mean anything.
"It's way too early. The one thing is if you get a really good result now you put yourself into the hunt," he said.
"Those guys are all going to bounce back and we have throwaways for a reason and today was one of them."
Medina was easily the most frustrated of Thursday's victims, launching into a stunning outburst against World Surf League commissioner Kieren Perrow, the competition's rules and even competitor Hall following the heat.
"We extended two days to get waves like this and I think KP didn't do a really good job, but I hope he can get better," Medina said.
"Second was the interference, one day I will try to understand this new rule.
"And the third, next time Glenn say 'f..k you' to me, I'll teach him some bad words."
Perrow responded afterwards saying Medina's comments were "not worthy conduct of an athlete at this level" and said the league would take further action if necessary.
Slater's conqueror Dantas faces off with compatriot Miguel Pupo for a semi-final berth while veteran Taj Burrow and Julian Wilson will meet in an all-Australian affair.
The final quarter-final will be between Brazil's Filipe Toledo and Durbidge.
Organisers will make a call at 6.30am AEST on when competition will resume with both the men's and women's champions to be crowned on Friday.
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