Maui’s Billy Kemper got off to a rip-roaring start in the Vans World Cup of Surfing on Monday.

Kemper had the highest-scoring wave of Day 1 of the contest, using solid rail work at Sunset Beach for an 8.33.

“That’s all-time Sunset Point right there, right off the reef, off the corner,” he said. “I grew up surfing here and it felt like another day in the backyard with some friends.”

Waves were in the 6- to 8-foot range with occasional 10-footers in clean “classic Sunset” conditions.

The Vans World Cup, the second event of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, will continue with the second round today, conditions permitting. The holding period ends Dec. 7. On Sunday, Portugal’s Frederico Morais won the Hawaiian Pro in Haleiwa, the first of the three Triple Crown events, to take the lead for the overall Triple Crown title.

Ten surfers from Hawaii advanced through Day 1 on Monday, including Kiron Jabour and Finn McGill, who won their four-man heats. Seventeen others from Hawaii were eliminated.

In addition, six local surfers are already seeded into either the second or third rounds, including Vans World Cup defending champion Ezekiel Lau.

One of those six is not two-time Triple Crown champion and two-time world champion John John Florence, who requested and was granted a wild-card entry within the past few days. Florence, however, withdrew Monday morning.

Florence, who is recovering from a knee injury and is expected to surf in the Billabong Pipe Masters (the WSL world tour season-ending contest and the Triple Crown finale, Dec. 8-20) was recently engaged to girlfriend Lauryn Cribb, according to Stab Magazine.