Impressive wins in the first elimination round have set Australians Joel Parkinson and Taj Burrow up for a strong run at the opening event of this year’s men’s world surfing championship on the Gold Coast.

In the water at his home break of Snapper Rocks for just the second time this year, Parkinson scored a comfortable win over young wildcard and trials winner Garrett Parkes in inconsistent four foot waves.

West Australian Taj Burrow produced the highest combined wave score of the day with 18.1 points out of 20 to beat highly-fancied Californian Dane Reynolds.

Fellow West Australian Yadin Nicol eliminated promising Brazilian teenager Gabriel Medina and Queensland’s rookie of the year Julian Wilson beat Sydney’s Kai Otton.

Parkinson, who faces Nicol in Monday’s third round, said not winning his first heat on Saturday turned out for the best.

“Today was a bit of a bonus because I haven’t had a heat for so long and it’s good to feel that the ball’s started rolling now,” he said.

“Yesterday was the first surf I’ve had at Snapper all year so it’s good to be back out there.”

Saturday was also Burrow’s first surf at the famous point break this year, and he admitted being rattled for the first few minutes on Sunday.

“I was a little spooked at the start, but I like surfing against Dane because it makes me surf my best,” he said.

“Last night I was tossing and turning in bed thinking about what I was going to do against Dane but it actually got me really, really pumped because he’s one of my favourite surfers and his whole approach to surfing is kind of the same as mine.”

In 2011 Burrow was beaten into second place on the Gold Coast by 11-time world champion Kelly Slater and he’s determined to go one better this time.

“I want to make the podium, I’ve been up there a few times here at Snapper and I love the wave … and the more I surf it the more confident I get out there,” he said.

Slater, resting on Sunday, will meet Hawaiian Fredrick Patacchia in the next round.

Other Aussies through were Josh Kerr, who had the best wave score of the day with a 9.5, Matt Wilkinson, Kieren Perrow and Bede Durbidge.

In the women’s competition a New Zealander who wasn’t even supposed to be competing eliminated Hawaii’s Coco Ho.

Sarah Mason was given a place when French surfer Justine Dupont fell sick and withdrew.

The only Australian to survive the women’s second round was Sydney’s Laura Enever with the competition to resume on Monday morning.