World surfing champion Tyler Wright is thanking her escalated pre-season training after taming a brutal current to prevail in Sunday's Roxy Pro first round.
The back-to-back world title winner has returned to the World Surf League in prime condition after overcoming a knee injury and beefing up her preparation with coach Glenn Hall.
It paid off on Sunday at Snapper Rocks, where she did enough in trying conditions to top her low-scoring heat against Malia Manuel and Bianca Buitendag and gain direct entry to the third round.
"That current is just ridiculous; you try as hard as you can but after 10 minutes you're cooked," Wright said.
"The amount of paddling I've been doing in preseason I'm noticing I can hold for longer and stronger, even if I'm hurting."
Wright's win followed an impressive heat wins by fellow big guns Carissa Moore and countrywoman Sally Fitzgibbons, but the news wasn't as good for defending Roxy Pro champion Stephanie Gilmore.
The six-time world champion battled hard in similarly tough conditions, with young Australian Macy Callaghan making the most of her late call-up following injury to American fancy Courtney Conlogue.
The former world junior champion scored 7.17 with her first wave and finished with 11.84 points, well ahead of Gilmore (6.50) and fellow Australian Bronte Macaulay (1.27).
"She's my inspiration still to this day ... I was super nervous, but so happy to get the win," Callaghan said of her match-up with Gilmore.
It leaves Gilmore in a sudden-death round two scenario likely to take place on Monday.
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