Hopes of crowning a hometown champion at the Gold Coast Pro are growing with all-time great Stephanie Gilmore one of three Australians into the semi-finals.
The six-time event champion booked her place on Sunday and was joined on finals day by Queenslanders Ethan Ewing and Liam O’Brien.
Back on the World Surf League tour full-time for the first time since 2023 and gunning for her ninth world title, Gilmore looked back to her best at her home break of Snapper Rocks.
She set up a final-four clash with Spain’s Nadia Erostarbe, who was a shock winner over Hawaiian rankings leader Gabriela Bryan.
Brazil’s Luana Silva and young American Sawyer Lindblad are in the other women’s semi.
The men’s event opened with the quarter-finals on Monday with Ewing taking on Paris Olympics gold medallist Kauli Vaast.
Former world title runner-up Ewing showed his surfing smarts to take advantage of a priority error by the French rookie and posted a convincing win, scoring a two-wave total of 14.50 to 6.50.
The Stradbroke Island product made the quarters at the last event at Margaret River, but was looking for a big result in his home state to improve his ranking.
“I want to win this thing pretty bad so just doing my best,” 27-year-old Ewing said.
He will face another Queenslander in the final four after O’Brien steamed past Brazilian Mateus Herdy, winning 15.00 to 8.67.
Sydneysider Connor O’Leary, who surfs under the Japan flag, also booked a semi-final berth with a thrilling victory over Italy’s Leonardo Fioravanti, 16.44 to 16.03.
O’Leary will take on Felipe Toledo after the Brazilian overcame compatriot Samuel Pupo, 15.77 to 12.57.
