Just behind them, sitting low in the trees with his missus is Kelly Slater. He too is watching Mick’s heat, just not with the unbridled enthusiasm of the aforementioned. His is a more casual observer and knows better to take too much from a round 4 heat.

Mick kept his disciples happy, easily accounting for Adriano De Souza, with another controlled performance. “He’s upping his commitment levels nicely,” said his Coach Phil McNamara afterwards hinting at strategy that, if completed successfully, will see him peak at the right time, ie in the final. Mind you, it didn’t look like he was holding back. One turn, a closeout layback slide reo kinda deal was eye-popping in its commitment.

“Yeah what about the larry layback,” he laughed with me later. “Old school, new school, mate, not bad for a Wednesday in the office.” I’d surfed with him at first light and he’d been similarly relaxed and good to be around. Well good to be around if you can laugh at yourself as he constantly takes the piss out of you in between stealing sets and warp speeding down the line.

Around midday the super fun conditions were destroyed by a howling sou-wester, leaving Kelly and Andy’s as the only guns left to work out their progression through to the quarterfinals. If they make, actually correction, when they make it, they will join a quarterfinal list that could not be any more deserved. Bede Durbidge, Parko, Bobby Martinez, Fanning, Taj and Dane Reynolds have never really looked like losing a heat and each in their own way have stamped some serious mix of flair, competitive edge and pure talent on the event. Of course come tomorrow, for most of them, that won’t be enough, as they take each other out. There’s a good chance they’ll finish it tomorrow in a solid, if a little wonky, swell. By the end, one of em will be ringing that bell and they’ll deserve to ring it loud and proud.