The Roxy Pro quarter finals continued at Snapper on Thursday after nearly a week-long layover and - for the first time since her rookie season - Fitzgibbons wasn't there after being upset by Brazilian veteran Silvana Lima in the fourth round last week.

Lima had to be literally perfect to oust the three-times tour runner-up, producing a 10-point ride to beat Fitzgibbons's outstanding heat score of 9.63. The fourth-round defeat might have been entirely unremarkable had it not highlighted Fitzgibbons' amazing run of consistency as she enters her seventh year on the championship tour.

"It was a shame because I definitely pride myself on my consistency," Fitzgibbons said.

"You always want to be there on finals day and matching it with the form surfers of the event but pushing ourselves in big waves, you're going to come unstuck sometimes. You need to remember it's a long season and just digest the result. I did put together a really solid performance but I got beaten on the day, so I've go to take it in my stride. There was a few things that were out of my control but I was feeling really great coming off the off-season and I feel like my surfing's in a good spot. I've just got to focus on Bells [on April 1] now and go from there."

Perennial world title contenders Steph Gilmore, Tyler Wright and Hawaiian Carissa Moore, all reached the quarter-finals at Snapper and look likely to set the pace again this year. Fitzgibbons will also be in the hunt but expects some new contenders to emerge.

"I think that top four or five bubble is really consistent with amazing competitors but I think there'll be a lot of room for upsets this year," she said.

"Obviously already you've got Silvana pushing hard to crack that top five again. You've also got that layer that were maybe considered rookies and a bit inexperienced ... they've been there a couple of years now. You've got the likes of Lakey Peterson and Malia [Manuel] who are just outside the bubble and they're all attacking.

"It's exciting to watch."

While she'd have much rather been at Snapper, the early exit gave Fitzgibbons the chance to teach Red Bull stablemate Travis Pastrana and his Nitro Circus crew a surfing lesson at North Wollongong on Thursday.

"I was a surprised because they've pretty much done everything crazy under the sun but Travis hadn't caught a wave before, so it was good to take him out and put him on some waves," she said.