“It’s A Gene Pool Of Cool, But It Comes With Every Bag Of Shit That Goes With It”

“I tried to shit and I farted out my nose. I was like, dude, I’m gonna die.” 

Son of Christian, nephew to Nate, grandson to Herbie and Dibi. Greyson Fletcher is a pro skater from one of the most influential surf families in history.

But how much do we know about Greyson Fletcher, really? For all the blood in the game, his life has mostly dodged the cyber contagion. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be raised by Christian Fletcher, well, you’re about to get a glimpse.

Alongside his new skate part, Hellion, Thrasher has released a mini-doc on Greyson’s life. Through candid interviews with Christian, Nate, Herbie, and Dibi, and also Tony Hawk for good measure, the doc pulls back the curtain on what was pretty clearly an unconventional, and at times turbulent upbringing. 

“He’s a product of a fucking gnarly environment,” admits Christian. “I had a kid when I was a kid. My parents had a kid when they were kids. So, you take your kids with you wherever you go.”

Tucked under the wing of a young Christian Fletcher, one could imagine Greyson was baptised in a cocktail of freedom and adult realities from the start. Those experiences probably molded him into the “fastest skateboarder on the planet,” as Tony Hawk puts it, but also someone who doesn’t just attack the terrain, but “attacks himself.”

“It’s in the genes,” says Dibi. “It’s a gene pool of cool, but it comes with every bag of shit that goes with it.” That seems about as close as you’ll get to a manual on the Fletcher experience: idolised, revered for being cool, admired for their talent, but perhaps burdened with an impulse for trouble.

In the doc, Greyson and Christian revisit the chapter of Greyson’s drinking that nearly killed him.

“I drank so much liquor throughout the years that I burned a whole in my oesophagus and collapsed both lungs throwing up too much,” says Greyson. “I almost died. I would turn my neck and it sounded like bubbles were popping because there was so much fluid in there. I tried to shit and I farted out my nose. I was like, dude, I’m gonna die. Then I called my dad, and we weren’t really talking at the time, and I said Dad, I’m going to die.”

“He told me he was going to die, so I got him to the hospital, and they were like, look, you got two holes in your lungs, and if this shit gets infected, your gonna have to come back and we’re going to have to cut you open from the neck, down your stomach, crack your rib cage open, and sew that shit up,” remembers Christian. 

Christian floated the idea that maybe he should quit skating if he wanted his lungs to survive. Greyson told him that death sounded preferable.

“I told him that if I have to quit, I’m going to kill myself,” says Greyson. “I feel nuts on this planet, and skateboarding is my one thing. It’s the only time I feel somewhat normal.” 

Around the halfway mark, Nate Fletcher steps in. When you get to this point, you might want to hit pause and grab the Kleenex box. Genuinely moving stuff.

“Growing up as a Fletcher, people have a lot to say,” Nate admits. “But I feel like Greyson’s hitting that point where it’s like, who cares? I’m Greyson Fletcher. Doesn’t matter who my dad is, or my uncle, or my grandfather.”

“He’s really come into his own. He’s a lot happier now. He’s worked through a lot of his childhood trauma. It’s wild to be his uncle and talk about him like this.” Nate’s voice catches. “He’s such a special part of our family. People always say, ‘Oh, he’s so gnarly. He’s crazy.’ But the truth is, he’s just Greyson.”

So, who is Greyson Fletcher?

A Stab High Sydney competitor. Son of Christian Fletcher. Despite the family legacy, didn’t commit to surfing until his early 20s, though Herbie had him in junior comps, going head-to-head with John John, Zeke Lau, and Koa Rothman. Troubled youth. Ignored doctors who told him to quit skating or risk blowing out his lungs. The fastest skateboarder on the planet.

Before I end up transcribing the whole documentary, go watch it for yourself. But here’s one more, courtesy of Dibi:

“Every story that’s told in life is about the heroes journey into self. Can you make it? Or will you get hung up on the pitfalls, and never make it out of it? And I look at Greyson now, and you can tell he’s been through the fires of hell, and now he’s strolling out. He’s battle weary, but he’s much better for the journey.”

Definitely worth your time. Without question. Watch here.