Ewing ousts Medina to chase Bells surf dream

Ethan Ewing's quest to follow a family legacy at Bells Beach remains alive, with the Queenslander ousting three-time world champion Gabriel Medina.

The two surfers squared off in a round-of-16 clash at Winkipop on Tuesday morning, with nine Australians in action across the men's and women's fields.

Ewing's late mother Helen Lambert was a trail-blazer and won at Bells Beach in 1983.

Overcoming retiring veteran Owen Wright in the previous round, world No.10 Ewing showed his surf smarts against Medina. 

The 24-year-old only surfed three waves to the Brazilian's 12 but they were the best-scored of the 40-minute heat.

Looking to best his semi-final appearance of last year, Ewing's combined two-wave score in the small conditions was 14.33 to Medina's 10.10.

Ewing said he went for an early surf at Winki, which is adjacent to Bells, to prepare for the break.

He then concentrated on picking the cream of the waves in his heat.

"I was just trying to identify the good ones," Ewing said. 

"I knew (Medina's) strategy is always catching a lot of waves so I wanted to just try and pick the eyes out and get the best ones."

Fellow Australian Jackson Baker also continued his charge through the competition, edging another Brazilian, Yago Dora.

Needing a good result with the mid-season cut looming after the next event in Margaret River, world No.27 Baker outpointed Dora by 1.79 to make his first ever Championship Tour quarter-final.

The Newcastle surfer will face reigning world champion Felipe Toledo in the last eight.

Local wildcard Xavier Huxtable, who eliminated current world No.1 Jack Robinson, faced another Australian in Connor O'Leary.

Huxtable went toe-to-toe until O'Leary produced a 7.50 ride to cap the win.

The women's competition will get underway later on Tuesday at the quarter-final stage, with world No.1 Molly Picklum facing Hawaiian Bettylou Sakura Johnson, and another local hope, Isabella Nichols, up against American Caroline Marks. 

Reigning Bells title-holder Tyler Wright will meet Hawaii's Carissa Moore, while 2022 world champion Stephanie Gilmore takes on Brazil's Tatiana Weston-Webb.