Alan Cleland’s star has been on the rise. Now we get a peek at some of his highlights from the 2023-2024 Hawai’i winter season, thanks to YouTube mainstay Off Da Lip.
Though Al has been kicking around since he was a grom and his father is San Diego pro Alan Cleland Sr., the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador was somewhat of a coming out party for the 21-year-old Pascuales, Mexico local. Cleland won the entire competition with a dominant performance that included a 9.73 score in the final and a win against Kanoa Igarashi.
“It means everything. It’s something that I’ve worked for and put my time in since I started surfing and something that I wanted,” Cleland said of the win. “It’s something that I strived (for), I dreamed, I put all my work into it. It came true and I can’t stop smiling. I’m just grateful.”
Later on, he became the first Mexican surfer to ever qualify for the Olympic games, after securing the spot through a somewhat circuitous route. In fact, Cleland owes his Olympic placement to Jordy Smith. Jordy had previously qualified via the same 2023 WSG that Cleland won, then “double qualified” via his placement in the WSL CT. Though the South African’s spot would normally go to another surfer from the continent of Africa, Moroccan Teva Bouchgua’s next-highest rank of 31st was too low for him to qualify. As a result, Alan found himself with a ticket to Teahupo’o.
Looking at these clips of Cleland’s winter season, he should fit in just fine.
