Trying to Find the Right Wave

Christian Fletcher isn’t exactly your typical All-American kid. As the one-time bad boy of surfing, the son of surfing legend Herbie Fletcher has had his share of problems with U.S. Surfing.

But these days, Fletcher, of San Clemente, is trying to mellow out and get his life and surfing back on track. And if that means adapting to the real world, so be it.

“I don’t have any regrets of what I’ve done in the past,” Fletcher said Tuesday. “But I’m 25 now, and I’m just trying to move on and get going with my life.”

Fletcher advanced to today’s third round of the AirTouch Pro Surfing Championships.

Fletcher’s past exploits have caused plenty of headaches for the professional surfing community.

Bud Surf Tour Director Ian Cairns has had his share of run-ins with Fletcher.

Cairns remembers when Fletcher lost his temper during a contest at Trestles and threw a muffin at a judge. When Cairns asked Fletcher to leave the contest, Fletcher then tossed a muffin at Cairns.

Cairns, a former world champion, is a burly Australian who looks like he would be quite at home with the Queensland rugby team.

“I was 20 feet away when he hit me,” Cairns said. “Which was good for him because if he would have been closer, I probably would have rung his neck.”

Fletcher said he didn’t surf the AirTouch (it was called the Op Pro last year) because he was banned from the contest. Except for the Trestles event, Cairns said, Fletcher has never been banned.

“No one has ever been told they can’t compete in this contest,” Cairns said. “But if that’s what Christian wants to believe, then that’s OK. As for me, I wish him the best of luck. I would be thrilled if he did well here and was able to turn himself around.”

In his early professional career, Fletcher was one of the more highly touted surfers. Many thought he would go far.

“I think Christian could be a very good surfer, but because so much water has passed under his bridge, I don’t know if he could do it,” Cairns said. “It would take lots of work and redirection.”

Said Fletcher: “I had a lot of hate and anger when I was younger, but that’s all in the past. What I really want to do is concentrate on my surfing and clothing business.”

Brandy Farber of Laguna Beach had the day’s top wave scores--9.17 and 9.33.

Farber, Chris Todd of San Clemente, Jason Starr of Laguna Niguel, Troy Eckert of Newport Beach and Jim Hogan of San Clemente advanced to the fourth round, which will start after the third round.

The first and second rounds of women’s trials also were contested.

San Clemente’s Jayme Lee advanced to the first round of the main event, which continues today. Nea Post and Kim Hamrock of Huntington Beach failed to advance to the second round.