World No.2 Griffin Colapinto has survived a huge scare from Australian surfing young gun Dane Henry at Bells Beach.
Deteriorating surf meant only five heats of the men's second round in the Rip Curl Pro were possible on Sunday and it was a day for wise old heads to prevail.
South African veteran Jordy Smith beat rookie compatriot Luke Thompson and as he starts his last season on the World Surf League tour, Brazilian Alejo Muniz dispatched 2024 Bells Beach winner Cole Houshmand.
Henry, the reigning world junior champion, was the only Australian to surf in Sunday's heats.
He had beaten compatriot Oscar Berry in round one, while this was Colapinto's first heat of the season, and the young Australian caught his American opponent napping.
Henry posted 8.00 and 7.00 scores to heap the pressure on Colapinto, who fought back with 8.13 and 7.13 waves and scraped through, 15.26 to 15.00.
"Paddling out, I could feel, like, heavy arms, heavy legs," Colapinto said.
"And then I got out to the line-up a little late, and Dane got that wave just underneath me and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, did my nerves just get me right there?'
"But I think Dane getting the eight kind of clicked me into gear a bit. Like, 'OK, it's all-in now'.
"And then he backed it up. I went 15-points 'combo' in the first 10 minutes. It was crazy. I'm just super proud of myself to be able to come back."
The only two South Africans on the championship tour also had a tight duel before Smith, who won the Rip Curl Pro in 2017, took care of Thompson 14.80 to 12.33.
Muniz was emotional before his heat against the American, crying on the famous Bells Beach stairs as the morning's competition opened, as always, with ACDC's Hells Bells.
"This could (have been) my last heat surfing here at Bells, but I'm glad that I made it and I have one more chance," he said.
Hawaiian Barron Mamiya and American Jake Marshall also won on Sunday.
Jack Robinson, Morgan Cibilic and Xavier Huxtable are the Australians yet to have their round-two heats.
