Of all the places to find Christian Fletcher, the 2025 Siargao International Surfing Cup was not on my bingo card. But the World Surf League’s Qualifying Series event is hosted at Cloud 9, the Philippines’ stellar right-hand reefbreak, and he does own property in the country, so why the hell not?
The oldest son of Herbie and Dibbi Fletcher, Christian broke boundaries in the 1980s when he pioneered aerial maneuvers at Lower Trestles. Though his airs were not universally beloved by the establishment at the time, his work undeniably laid a foundation for the generation after him. He was polarizing, dramatic and unapologetically himself, in and out of the water.
This week, just a few days after his 55th birthday, Christian donned a jersey for the first time in who knows how long and paddled out at Cloud 9 for a QS 6,000. Points didn’t matter; he just wanted waves. Rocked a thick mullet and riding a big-ol’ step deck with his own logo on it, he finished third in a four-man Round of 128 heat and was eliminated on October 23. Funnily enough, the oldest surfer in the field was surfing with the youngest surfer in the field, 13-year-old Jayden Wilcoxen. “Is that elderly abuse or taking candy from a baby?” Christian mused on his Instagram.
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Christian’s presence seemed to stoke the other competitors, and Christian was all smiles after the heat. “When I grew up, we’d never get conditions like this for a surf contest,” he said. “The water’s warm, the waves are good. Shallow reef. Everyone’s got big smiles. Everyone’s happy. That’s the reason I came to this contest. I’m 55 years old, I don’t even surf contests. But when I had the opportunity to come here, I wouldn’t miss this for anything. I just want to get barrelled and launch some airs, and most of all, have fun.”
It looks like Christian has been having a lot of fun in the water lately. Before pulling up to Cloud 9, he shared a session with his brother Nathan and a few dozen more surfers at cooking Padang Padang in Bali. He may not be on a competitive comeback, but he’s clearly enjoying himself and doing his thing. As the Fletchers so often do.