Held in rising 1m conditions at the primary site of Burleigh Heads on Queensland's Gold Coast, competitors enjoyed the early signs of a new swell, which is expected to see wave heights dramatically increase into the weekend ahead of a stellar final on Sunday (January 30). However it was Woods' aerial approach which impressed both judges and spectators alike today, as the crowd favourite posted a combined two-wave heat total of 14.40 (out of a possible 20) to account for South Africa's Beyrick De Vries (11.75) Sol Pereira-Ryan (Snapper Rocks, Qld -- 10.95) and New Zealand's Buck Woods (5.95) who finished second to fourth respectively.