Alan Cleland Jr. Is Officially A 2025 CT Rookie
…and here’s all of the wildcard updates for the start of the WSL season.
In 2021, Al Cleland Junior spent almost an entire year without a major sponsor.
“I remember thinking, ‘Should I just throw in the towel and start working a nine-to-five, or should I keep going?'” he told us in a recent interview. “It was a serious low point.”
When I called him today, the 22-year old pride of Mexican surfing was sitting at the Quiksilver Pipe house, watching a hungry pack scramble for azure wedges. As he picked up the phone, just seven minutes had passed since John Florence announced his hiatus from the 2025 Championship Tour — and, it was all starting to sink in.
“I dunno man,” he told me “I just saw John’s last post. I dunno if you guys saw that. I guess I’ve got the spot, which is fucking crazy. It’s really hard to process right now, but I guess it’s happening. Man, that’s crazy. It’s been so much time and hard work, but the real hard work actually starts now. It’s just like, holy shit, I’m ready. It’s been my whole life waiting for this.”
Of course, John’s departure means that Alan will join the 2025 Rookie Class in enjoying a full time spot on the fast-approaching Championship Tour.
Worth noting, if John had surfed Pipe before announcing that he was leaving, the spot would have been passed to the WSL, who would have allocated event specific wildcards. However, because John took the entire year off before surfing an event (he may still surf Pipe with a wildcard), Al gets his spot.
Classy stuff from the 3x World Champ.
With a Challenger Series win, a Pipe Masters final appearance, a standout Olympic performance, and some memorable film parts under his belt, it’s become common knowledge that Al Cleland has the ability to show up and blow up — but how’s he planning to prepare for the opening event of the season?
“I don’t really stress on surfing Pipe with a thousand guys out,” he says. “I’ve definitely been out there enough to where I can just surf other waves and just have fun. When it’s second reef Pipe, it feels really similar to Pascuales. I feel at home with all the water moving around and the current and the washthroughs. I feel like I have a good connection with Pipe for some reason. I’ve always had a really good time out there since I was young, and I’ve always respected everyone out there.”
When I ask him about if he’s planning to do some extra training before the start of the season, he chuckles.
“Actually, yeah, I train pretty gnarly, but I just don’t show anyone because I feel like you don’t need to show stuff like that. It’s your hard work, that should be just you. I’m just going to stay on my own program, and keep surfing. I’ve been meditating for years, and I’m just gonna keep the same rhythm. I want to be a hundred percent in every way possible — physically, mentally, every which way.”
So, no more beers?
“That stuff is out for sure. Right now is the most important time. You gotta fucking be a hundred percent, you gotta be at your top game. This is where the best in the world are at, time to go to the next level.”
When I ask him where he’s most excited to surf, he smiles.
“I mean, I think everybody would know, right? I’m so stoked for the wave pool in Abu Dhabi,” he laughs. “Nah, I’m kidding. I don’t think I really have to say which sort of waves I like. It’s pretty easy to tell.”
In other wildcard news, Gabriel Medina has announced he will be out for the first three events — and will reassess from there. As we learned last week, the three-time World Champ underwent surgery after an off-kilter oop cost him his pectoralis major.
Ian Gentil will replace him as the injury replacement.
Following his broken elbow and ensuing surgery, Crosby Colapinto is out for at least Pipe. Eli Hanneman will replace him as the highest-ranked Hawaiian not already in the draw.
On the women’s side, Stephanie Gilmore has announced she will also be skipping the 2025 CT, which you can read about here. Challenger Series #11 Luana Silva will replace her.
Next, for personal reasons, Johanne Defay is out at Pipe, and Nadia Erostarbe will replace her as the injury replacement.
Finally, Kelly Slater and Moana Jones Wong will be the event wildcards for the Lexus Pipe Pro.
