Molly Picklum is the sole Australian left in the Pipe Pro after charging into the semi-finals with Ethan Ewing making an early exit on finals day in the Hawaiian competition.
Organisers were rewarded for the patient approach to the event with the best conditions of the competition window on show for title-deciding day.
Picklum, 21, eliminated French veteran Johanne Defay in their quarter-final clash to earn a final-four match-up with local Bettylou Sakura Johnson.
World No.5 Picklum, who has been one of the form surfers of the event, continued her fearless approach and was rewarded with a score of 8.17 after holding on through a giant foamy face.
The two-wave total for the NSW surfer was 12.50 to Defay’s 6.63.
Johnson will provide formidable competition in the semi-final, earning a score of 9.70 for a Backdoor barrel in her total of 15.70 to down American Caroline Marks, 6.50.
Ewing was taken out by Sydneysider Connor O’Leary, who last year switched his allegiance to Japan in the hope of locking in an Olympic berth,
O’Leary’s mother Akemi Karasawa is a former Japanese surfing champion but the world No.11 grew up in Cronulla.
O’Leary locked in a two-wave total of 11.50 while world No.2 Ewing could only manage 2.73.
The young Queenslander was crunched in a big wave which snapped his board in half and never managed to get back in the game.