Brett Simpson came firing out of gates Saturday at the Quiksilver Pro, defeating Dane Reynolds in his Round One heat with a solid performance. Simpson's strategy seemed solid, as evidenced by his wave selection today. The sloppy Snapper Rock conditions were a bit of a mystery for many competitors, who've been battling for scraps in the brutal Gold Coast crowds this week.

"I was excited just to get out there," Simpson said afterward. "I haven't had too many great waves out here--it's been really crowded. But once you get one of those double ups it's such a rippable wave," Simpson said afterward."

Reynolds displayed a few flashes of brilliance today, being his usual carefree self. He was riding a board similar to the one he rode at Trestles last year, which was also similar to the one Kelly Slater rode at Snapper in 2008 when he handily won the event and proceeded to give the world a thrashing.

Whether or not Reynold's board was the right one for today's conditions was a hot topic in the live Fantasy Action Sports League chat rooms, where fantasy players score waves along with the judges while calling each other out. If you're looking for an added layer of fun while viewing the contest, I suggest dropping this widget on your computer.

Simpson wasn't the only rookie to have success today. Dusty Payne made the most of his rookie appearance, edging Jordy Smith in his heat Round One heat by just a point. And in the last heat of the day Owen Wright and Fred Patacchia got into a nice little backhand battle in the lumpy conditions. The two powerful goofyfooters traded blows and leads throughout the heat, with Wright hanging on to a razor thin lead at the end.

Wright beat Slater twice last year and finished 3rd at The Search event in Portugal as a wild card. He's now hoping to carry his 2009 momentum into this year with a quick start.

And in the final heat of the day rookie Jadson Andre of Brazil looked as if he could be joining his buddy Adriano De Souza in the top half of the ratings soon with a solid victory over local boy Dean Morrison. Andre, like Payne, Wright and Simpson, brings the whole package, with a solid foundation and a wide spectrum of moves.

Of course every one of the ASP's world tour surfers are on notice right now since entire tour field will be narrowed to 32 surfers from the current 48 midway through the year. That puts added pressure on everyone to get off to a good start at Snapper Rocks.