Local girl Laura Enever grabbed the attentions of the crowd at Manly Beach as she cruised through the opening heats of the Australian Open of Surfing.

The 21-year-old from the Sydney suburb of North Narabeen proved why she is ranked 10th in the world by winning her first heat convincingly with a score of 17.60.

Fellow Australian Sally Fitzgibbons posted the highest score of the day with an impressive 17.83, but it was Enever who caught the locals' imagination with her performance.

"These are the best waves I’ve ever had at Manly," said Enever, who has recently returned from a six-month break from competition. "It’s been a long time since my last heat last year, so I started to prepare early this year because I remember how fast it all goes.

"I guess that preparation has paid off because I felt good, I had a clear mind and felt like I was surfing well, so I’m stoked to start the year off that way. It’s also great to have the hometown support with friends and family here on the beach."

South Africa's Bianca Buitendag caused the upset of the day when she beat another Aussie, Tyler Wright.

Hawaii's Coco Ho and USA's Lakey Peterson also progressed to the second heat

That will take place on Tuesday morning before the opening men's heats get underway.

Eurosport