Australia’s Jack Robinson has thrown down the challenge at the World Surf League event in Portugal, landing a huge aerial move at Supertubos to win his first-round heat.

The world No.2, who won at the last tour stop at Hawaii’s Sunset Beach, pulled off a lofty “alley-oop” to post the best score of the opening day with an 8.83.

With decent 1.5-metre surf and some barrels on offer early in the day, the surfers relished the different conditions after the huge swell in Hawaii.

Robinson, who was runner-up in Peniche last year, built speed on a fast right and launched into a huge rotation, which he landed and rode out of.

“I was just trying to go as high as I could,” said Robinson, whose two-wave tally was 14.76.

“I knew Crosby (Colapinto) was probably going to go big too and the wildcard you never know, so I tried to make do with what I had.”

While the women’s opening round was on hold, there were six Australian men in action.

Ethan Ewing, currently ranked world No.6, scored a total of 13.00 to place second in his high-scoring heat behind French wildcard Joan Duru (13.96), who was a finalist at last week’s ISA World Surfing Games in Puerto Rico.

Callum Robson won his heat, with 2023 champion American Griffin Colapinto finishing a distant third to head to the elimination round.

Jacob Wilcox scored 11.24 to down current rankings leader John John Florence, 7.27, although the Hawaiian finished second to move directly to round three.

Ryan Callinan and Liam O’Brien are into the elimination round after placing last in their heat, as did three-time world champion Brazilian Gabriel Medina, who won the World Surfing Games event.

Organisers have already called off the event on Thursday (local time), with a heavy storm front moving on to the Portuguese shores, bringing gale-force winds.