Two-time world champion Tyler Wright made up for lost time with an emphatic 15.67 to 10.27 win over Stephanie Gilmore in the Tweed Coast Pro final on Monday.
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A battle with chronic fatigue syndrome sidelined Wright for 17 months before she made her return to the World Surf League at last year's season-ending Maui Pro. This year's competitions were then abandoned from March because of COVID-19.
The Tweed Coast Pro was the first of three events in the non-tour Australian Grand Slam, which is the only chance the country's best will have to compete in 2020.
Wright spent the past six months surfing and training with Gilmore and the seven-time world champion has helped her younger rival get into top shape.
In the men's final, local hope Ethan Ewing brushed off a nervous start to drop the event's highest score, a 9.77, as he toppled South Africa's Matthew McGillivray.
Newcastle-based Julian Wilson lost in the quarter-finals on Monday to West Australian Jack Robinson 14.33 to 14.
Wilson needed a 7.07 in the final minute when he pulled off an air reverse in the small, slow conditions. The judges came back with a 6.73 after the final siren.
Wilson was the last Novocastrian standing in the contest after Ryan Callinan, Morgan Cibilic and Philippa Anderson were eliminated in round two on Sunday.
Ewing, 21, had a quarter-final victory over top seed and Tokyo-bound Owen Wright, who is the older brother of Tyler, and then took down Connor O'Leary in the final four.
"I made a few mistakes at the start but then I got one good one and was really happy," Ewing said.
"I'm just over the moon the way things fell into place."
Wright, who used her heat to make a Black Lives Matter protest, said she had loved her time training and competing in the final with Gilmore, who will represent Australia at next year's rescheduled Games.
"She's been one of my biggest idols for a long time and a good friend now," Wright said of Gilmore.
"Through COVID, Steph and all the girls have really been there.
"When it all shut down I was probably still in recovery from the last few years and Steph called me and said, 'I'm coming to pick you up' and we've been surfing every day, so it's been a really nice time to connect."
Wright's brothers, Owen and younger sibling Mikey, were both eliminated in Monday's quarter-finals.
The Grand Slam features three events at Gold Coast, Margaret River and Tweed Heads with 24 surfers across the men's and women's fields.
