
Gracetown's Bronte Macaulay came out firing on all cylinders once again in Round 3 of the US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach on Thursday.
The Australian surfer native honed her home break's power into her performance and dropped an immaculate 17.10 (out of a possible 20) after building her scoreline from start to finish -- finishing with an 8.83 (out of a possible 10) and 8.17.
"I feel like I'm in a really good place and just enjoying California," Macaulay said.
"There was just those really good right, rip bowls by the pier I was able to find so felt pretty lucky.
"It's great to have my dad here, he's the biggest surf frother and even when it's small he comes in just so psyched on how fun it was.
"I'll look at conditions and maybe not be too stoked but then he's really excited to get out so I'll have to go at that point."
A day earlier, Macaulay brought the heat in her Round 2 launch over 2019 CT rookie Macy Callaghan (AUS) and QS veterans Maud Le Car (FRA) and Nao Omura (JPN).
The goofy-footer found a brilliant, reeling righthander that offered plenty of opportunities for the elite competitor to unleash her backhand attack to garner an excellent 8.50 (out of a possible 10).
"I saw that set and I was just thinking, 'don't blow it, this is such a good opportunity' (laughs), when those sets come in it's pretty easy to get the score," Macaulay said.
"Just being in third or fourth priority, I wanted a bit of a gap and felt like there was enough waves on that south end so I'm stoked to get one."