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Olympic surfing bronze medallist Owen Wright has started the Rip Curl Pro with a heat win over Kelly Slater and Nat Young at Bells Beach.

Australian surfing star Owen Wright has made a strong start at the Rip Curl Pro as he tries to avoid the new mid-season cut.

The Olympic bronze medallist beat 11-times world champion Kelly Slater and fellow American Nat Young in their opening-round heat on Monday at Bells Beach.

But wildcard Mick Fanning, the three-times world champion and four-times Bells Beach winner, had a tough return to competition.

The Australian finished last in his heat and that put him into the elimination round.

World No.1 Kanoa Igarashi and 2019 Bells Beach champion John John Florence were other big names to progress as eight of the 12 round-one men's heats were run in one to 1.5m surf.

As the iconic event resumed for the first time since 2019, Wright posted a score of 12.44 to beat Slater's 12.04, with Young third on 8.37.

Wright and Slater advanced to the round of 32, while Young was relegated to the elimination round.

The field will be cut after the next round at Margaret River, WA, and Wright is in major strife at equal-31st in the rankings.

"It's more like I know what I have to do," Wright said after his heat.

"I've had starts like this in previous years, (or) worse, and finished fifth.

"I have to take confidence from that ... it's just there's a time limit, two more events, and I will be putting my best foot forward."

Organisers waited until nearly 11am to start the men's event after a lay day on Sunday, with no women's heats held on Monday.

Brazilian ace Italo Ferreira, the 2019 world champion and 2018 Bells Beach winner, was another first-round winner, along with Australian Callum Robson.

Wright's younger brother Mikey finished second in his heat behind Italian Leonardo Fioravanti to also advance.

Brazilian newcomer Samuel Popo won his heat with 13.23 and compatriot Filipe Toledo scored 12.23, as Fanning could only manage 6.73.

Fanning has come out of retirement to compete in his first World Surf League event since Ferreira denied him a fairytale finish by beating him in the 2018 Rip Curl Pro final.

Igarashi posted the highest heat score of the day, 16.24, to continue his strong start to the season.

Florence finished second in his heat behind Australian Jackson Baker to also progress.

Baker is ranked 23rd, putting him immediately below the mid-season cutoff mark.