It all started with perhaps the most vague press release ever published. On October 11, the World Surf League announced that it had suspended “a competitor,” an anonymous surfer, after the League had been made “aware of allegations of a deeply serious nature” that took place in Tahiti after the Tahiti Pro.
The statement read more like legal jargon than anything meant to inform the public. Obviously, it was only a matter of time until the world found out who the mystery surfer was when he didn’t show up for the next heat. Apparently, legal counsel deemed it reckless to defame a surfer who hadn’t been charged with a crime.
Moments later, a media report emerged naming the mystery athlete as 24-year-old Mexican surfer Alan Cleland Jr., citing allegations of an incident with an Australian teenager and three other men at an unnamed residence or location after the event at Teahupo’o. A flood of rumors and speculation followed online.
Several people in the pro surfing community have taken to social media to express outrage at the allegations, going as far as to say they know what happened, but won’t say what, or name names.
Now, two weeks later, the flow of information has stagnated. The same rumors have been circling the internet. The relevant police authorities have chosen not to comment. No charges have been filed. Most astonishing? And what’s come to define the beginning of this case? The silence. We’ve put out dozens of feelers for information, anyone who knows anything, and we’ve largely been met with refusal to comment. Or, worse, radio silence.
Surfers who have no problem blasting opinions on the allegations online are apparently wary of the legal ramifications if, by some chance, the information they have is not correct. But if no charges are ever filed and no one speaks up, it’s possible what we know now is all we’ll ever know.
Where we stand
Investigative reporting depends on quality sources. In an age where bots outnumber humans on the internet and malicious fake news abounds, comments and posts from anonymous Instagram accounts do not suffice as credible information. Some have called for media outlets to “expose these guys,” but there is a process to make sure misinformation is not spread.
That said, sure, anonymous tips can be used and investigated. We’ve seen the burner accounts created just to post allegations, or to defend Cleland. And we’ve looked into it all.
First things first, even though the WSL and ISA didn’t name the surfer they suspended, and Surfing World’s initial reports just said it “is understood” Cleland is the surfer in question, we’ve confirmed the most basic fact: Yes, Cleland is the surfer who has been suspended. While he hasn’t responded to our requests for comment, sources closer to him have confirmed that he’s suspended from competition and currently at home in Pascuales, Mexico. Some of his former teammates, who requested anonymity, have expressed shock and disbelief at the allegations.
The Tahitian Surfing Federation confirmed that none of the suspects are local surfers, and local media TNTV reported that some of the suspects are photographers, one of whom has lived on the island for many years. Other reports claimed a source informed them that one of those photographers fled Tahiti to the U.S.
We know that the French Polynesian National Police, based out of Papeete, Tahiti, are investigating the allegations stemming from the incident on August 13. The French Polynesian Police told us in an email that they had no information on the matter, but the Australian Broadcasting Corporation later reported that police in Tahiti are collecting evidence as of October 15.
The New South Wales Police in Australia have reportedly been made aware of the allegations, but they refused to provide comments when we requested details.
It presents a complicated legal scenario: A source in Tahiti confirmed that the victim and all suspects are not in the country. In other words, local police are investigating an alleged crime without direct access to the relevant parties. Surely, they are canvassing for witness statements, and based on what the source in Tahiti told us, the details of the incident had been widely known in Teahupo’o for at least a month before the WSL’s suspension statement on October 11. The entire community knew it was a matter of time before this reached an international audience.
Shortly after the WSL statement came out, Cleland’s sponsors, Quiksilver and Monster, removed him from their websites. WSL media releases from the U.S. Open that included Cleland had also been scrubbed from the web. A source in the surf industry told us that at least one of the sponsors had been aware of the allegations for weeks prior to the WSL’s statement.
France (remember, Tahiti is part of France) has an extradition treaty in place with Mexico. The country has similar agreements in place with the U.S. and Australia, the presumed locations of the other suspects that have consistently appeared in online rumors. Each of those countries also have processes to try citizens for crimes committed abroad. However, given the complexities with extradition and prosecution for a crime committed in another country, along with the lack of formal charges and publicly available evidence, it’s nearly impossible to assess whether any of these are realistic options.
It’s unclear who the victim is other than that she’s an Australian teenager. But if we discover the identity, in alignment with journalism best practices, we wouldn’t divulge her name. It’s worth noting that the age of consent in France is 15 years old, so, if the victim is 15 or older, any formal charges that would hold up in court would have to be related to non-consensual sexual acts, not the victim’s age. The WSL has stayed quiet about the incident since its first-and-only statement, but they have been busy editing their website. The League removed all website and social media mentions of the youth “Rising Tides” program that took place in Tahiti.
Will anyone speak up?
The only person who has put their name behind allegations against Cleland is his ex-girlfriend, Noah Klapp. The 23-year-old former ISA junior champion levied separate allegations of sexual and physical assault, and called out surfing culture in general that allows harmful behavior.
Meanwhile, other prominent surfers with large social media followings have used their platforms to amplify the allegations, claiming the pro surfing community knows what happened.
But the WSL Championship Tour surfers have been completely silent. While many of them left comments of support for Noah Klapp when she told her story, none of them have spoken out about what happened on August 13 in Tahiti, whether they know anything or not. There appears to be a directive, whether from the WSL or investigators (or both), to keep quiet on this topic.
Unsurprisingly, neither Cleland nor anyone else accused in social media posts have made a public statement. Their counsel is surely giving them the legal advice to remain silent until they have to defend themselves against formal charges.
For those hoping for quick resolution and justice, don’t get your hopes up. The inaction and information stagnation may continue for the foreseeable future. As police refuse to comment, and the surf community refuses to share any information with the public, the question is: When will someone decide that the world needs to know what they know?
There are firsthand witnesses out there. They have the answers to the key questions. Whose house was this gathering at? Who else was there? Did they know what was happening? If so, why didn’t they do anything?
We all want answers to these important questions.
Editor’s Note: Evan Quarnstrom is a longtime writer and reporter for The Inertia and has led our investigation into this disturbing event that allegedly took place in August after the Tahiti Pro.
