Peter Mel has put a lifetime of work in at California’s most notorious big wave. So it’s no surprise that he caught the wave of a lifetime yesterday at Maverick’s. Paddling in with a clean face in front of him, the wave seemed to grow behind him as his line morphed into a beautiful barrel – the surf gods rewarding one of Santa Cruz’s most gifted sons for all that effort he’s put in to the cold waters near Half Moon Bay.
The beastly wave had people shouting from the channel and the social media chatter was swift, and rightfully-congratulatory, as some are calling it the wave of the decade. “Was that the best wave in surfing ever,” asks someone behind the Powerlines Productions‘ camera while Mel sits in the channel after kicking out, most likely trying to come to grips with what just happened.
The World Surf League commentator’s son was there watching his dad put in the work and reap the extremely big rewards as well. “Words can’t describe what I watched today,” wrote John Mel on Instagram. “Fifty-one years old and just set the standard of what everyone will now be chasing to get the best wave out there. Congratulations @peter_mel I love you dad!”
The wave certainly caused social channels to light up in reaction (see below). Huge congrats Peter Mel!
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