Stab Magazine | Christian Fletcher, Off The Wall, Hawaii

Live Now: Chapter 11 Mini-Documentary With Dane Reynolds

603 Views

Christian Fletcher, Off The Wall, Hawaii

Another lay day at the Billabong Pipe Masters. Another day left wondering who will be this year’s world champion. Another day watching swell forecasts, speculating. And, as far removed as one could be from all that, is Christian Fletcher. While wrapping a portrait session at Off The Wall, photog Trevor Moran heard a motorcycle burning […]

full frame // Mar 8, 2016
Words by Trevor Moran
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Another lay day at the Billabong Pipe Masters. Another day left wondering who will be this year’s world champion. Another day watching swell forecasts, speculating. And, as far removed as one could be from all that, is Christian Fletcher.

While wrapping a portrait session at Off The Wall, photog Trevor Moran heard a motorcycle burning towards the beach. “The chopper cruised to a stop,” says Trev. “Homemade surf racks on the right side supporting a fluorescent green board covered in carbon fibre mesh. Without seeing the rider’s face, the scraggly neck tattoos and black under shave with specks of grey gave it away immediately.”

Like most children of the mid 80s who were attracted to the dark side, Trev grew up watching Christian. Tweak Freaks on high rotation before and after surfs, an introduction to death metal, self-ripped jeans, homemade skateboards and, as Trev puts it, “thriving on the street cred gained by snapping a board while attempting an air in the shorebreak.” And, then there was the undercut.

While Christian and his skate-style were outcast from pro surfing at the time, he’s now, oddly, an authoritative voice on it. “His stubby board with double Astrodeck, complimented by his heavy-footed, squatty stance brought video flashbacks from my 80s youth to mind,” says Trev after watching Christian’s session at Off The Wall. “I then watched a grom land a stock frontside reverse by stomping on the nose of his Dumpster Diver, and thought perhaps the flashbacks were actually still foreshadowing future progressive surfing. Similarly, while listening to Christian’s commentary at this years Lowers Pro concerning the state of aerial surfing, I wondered: how its possible that someone nearly 25 years removed from his lone professional contest victory can have the most relevant and rational insight into modern competitive surfing?” A real good question, and a kinda unanswerable one. “The day-glo board colouring, carbon fibre inlays, ripped black jeans, highly stylised hair, and ‘I don’t give a fuck about surfing’ attitude are all trademarks of Fletcher, both today and since I was born,” observes Trev. “But, look to this generation’s most “progressive” surfers and you’ll find exactly the same things. Is Christian no longer ahead of his time or is this new breed paying homage to the man they grew up watching?”

Ironically, we have here a photograph of Christian doing a top turn. Dig?

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Full Frame: Scandinavia Is Surfing’s Next Frontier

A 30-hour drive, bathymetric maps, and 10 years of searching yield surfing's newest discovery.

Mar 29, 2024

Watch: João Chianca Had A Remarkable Hawaii Season Before His Injury

Plus an update on his condition.

Mar 28, 2024

Pittar’d And Feathered

Do the WSL judges deserve the internet's wrath? We asked the man of the hour.

Mar 28, 2024

Robbo, Pickles, And Tyler Wright Become The Underdogs Breakfast At Uninspiring Winkipop

The foreboding blade sharpens and inconsistent judging prevails on Day Two in Torquay.

Mar 27, 2024

“I Don’t Always Win Heats, But When I Do, I Try To Beat John John”

Slater shines and the axe begins its descent on Day 01 at Bells.

Mar 26, 2024

Back Against The Wall: The Ramzi Boukhiam Redemption

Morocco's first CT surfer on speaking six languages, having no coach, and snatching Fil Toledo's…

Mar 25, 2024

Will Kirra, Babies or JJF Stop a GOAT Winning at Bells?

Bluesky BOAG advice from a Superman specialist and former Trials winner.

Mar 25, 2024

Bells Preview: The WSL’s Victorian Sword Dancing Equinox Ritual

Will a Brazilian crack the Top 10 at Bells?

Mar 25, 2024

69 Shin Bones Later + the Anticlimactic State of Big Wave Record-Breaking

Lucas Chumbo might have surfed the biggest wave ever this year. But how will we…

Mar 23, 2024

Watch: ‘Fresh and Fried’ Ft the Quik Kids

How taxing is it to tackle the Gold Coast’s Triple Crown in a single day,…

Mar 23, 2024

The Popular Vote: The People’s Stab In The Dark With Kolohe Andino Champion

Which board looked best — to you —under Kolohe's talons?

Mar 22, 2024

Six Key Learnings From Portugal

Three CT events in, what do we know? 

Mar 21, 2024

‘Zipper’ Is Going On Tour, Here’s Where You Can Watch It  

Dates, times + locations for the Venice, Encinitas, Sydney + Byron premieres.  

Mar 20, 2024

Dane Reynolds On His Future, His Past, And Chapter 11’s Raison D’être

Our 9-minute plunge into the collective psyche of Ventura's pillar(s).

Mar 20, 2024

From ‘Blue Ribbon Cross Country Runner’ to Vogue – How Steph Again Is Back With A Rip Curl Remix

Everything we know about the she-GOATs sponsorship boomerang.

Mar 18, 2024

Stab Interview: Darren Handley Explains Why You Can’t Buy The Winning Stab In The Dark Model

And his decades-long standoff with Slater.

Mar 17, 2024

Griff Embraces Portugal’s Eternal Time Loop To Vanquish Medina + Ewing, Defay Delays The Inevitable

A redeeming closing act at Supertubos.

Mar 16, 2024

The Secret Behind Lungi Slabb’s Inconceivable Greenmount Funnel

Six broken boards, one leaking forehead, and five days of Superbank mysticism.

Mar 16, 2024
Advertisement