Alan Cleland Jr. is allegedly the surfer whom the WSL suspended. Photo: Ed Sloane//WSL
Two days after the World Surf League announced that allegations of a “deeply serious nature” had led to the suspension of a Championship Tour surfer, apparently Alan Cleland Jr., no official criminal investigation appears to be underway.
Surfing World’s Nick Carroll reported that the mystery athlete that the WSL alluded to in its statement is 24-year-old Cleland Jr., and the suspension concerns a private gathering in Tahiti after the Tahiti Pro in August involving “a teenage Australian female surfer and at least three men.”
In Carroll’s reporting, he said New South Wales police are aware of the allegations and are in touch with “surfing authorities.” However, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, neither the New South Wales Police nor the Australian Federal Police would confirm whether an investigation was underway, saying the matter is being dealt with by police in French Polynesia.
At the same time, Tahitian media outlet Radio 1 reported that, as of 10 a.m. local time, Monday, October 12, the public prosecutor’s office in Tahiti confirmed that no official investigation had been opened.
While the WSL’s statement leaves more questions than answers, Cleland Jr.’s sponsors, Quiksilver and Monster, removed him from their athlete pages, adding credence to reports that the Mexican Olympian is indeed the unnamed surfer. The WSL refused to answer further questions about the suspension, but clarified that the League “has not identified the competitor that received the suspension.”
Inquiries with Tahitian and Australian police, Cleland Jr.’s sponsors, and people allegedly involved in the incident have largely gone unanswered. Several of Cleland Jr.’s former national teammates who we spoke with, and requested anonymity, expressed shock at the allegations.
On Monday, 23-year-old pro surfer Noah Klapp, Cleland Jr.’s ex-girlfriend, released a statement on Instagram levying physical and sexual assault allegations against Cleland Jr. unrelated to the allegations in Tahiti. Klapp did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
As the WSL and relevant police authorities remain tight-lipped about further details of the allegations, the Tahitian Surfing Federation confirmed that none of the people involved in the incident were staff, surfers, or licensed members of the federation — which technical director Kevin Bourez called “a small sense of relief.”
“However, it remains a massive shock to hear that a young girl was subjected to such an act,” Bourez added. “We will wait for answers from the justice system.”
Cleland Jr. has not been charged or convicted of a crime, and he did not respond to requests for clarification about the incident. Currently ranked 24th on the Championship Tour — below the 22-surfer re-qualification mark — he won’t qualify for the 2027 tour if he remains suspended and doesn’t compete at Pipeline.
