Paige Hareb's journey on the World Surf League Championship Tour began with a bang.
Making her debut on the top stage in the sport in December 2008, the Kiwi surfer eliminated then-world no2 Sofia Mulanovich in the second round of the Billabong Pro in Hawaii.
It's been a wild ride for her since then, falling off the tour at the end of 2014 and having a three-year grind on the qualifying series. But she's back now, and a decade after her debut, was set to compete in her 50th event on the Championship Tour.
"It's pretty crazy," Hareb said of reaching the half century.
The 27-year-old will paddle out at the Rip Curl Pro at Victoria's Bells Beach this week, with the competition window opening on March 28. The event was the second of the year, with the Kiwi falling early in her first competition back on tour to eventual winner Lakey Peterson.
The Victorian contest was the scene of one of her favourite memories from her previous 49 contests. In 2009, her rookie season, she reached the quarterfinals of the event after eliminating Hawaiian Coco Ho in round three where she surfed one of the best heats of her career.
"I caught a good one right away, jumped on the ski to get back out in the line-up and caught another one. I think I had her combo'd within the first five minutes."
While this week's event would be a milestone contest for Hareb, it would be a memorable one for the entire men's and women's fields, as Australian Mick Fanning would be making his final appearance as a full-time member of the tour.
Fanning, 36, announced earlier in the year he would be stepping away from the tour as he no longer had the motivation and dedication to compete. The three-time world champion had been a staple of the Championship Tour for the past 16 seasons, making his rookie debut in 2002.
"It'll make it special for everyone on tour here," Hareb said.
Fellow Kiwi surfers Ella Williams and Ricardo Christie will also be in action this week as they continue their charge on the Qualifying Series with a QS3000 event in Barbados.
Heading into the event, the two sat 33rd and 43rd respectively and would be looking for strong performances to add to their campaigns while the Championship Tour athletes weren't in the field.