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The wave of a lifetime at Mavericks

submitted by SFOGuy

3 years 10 months 1 week ago

I would comment---as someone who has surfed just enough to think: wow, that's incredible--this is special to watch because:
1) He paddled in on a 30 foot wave (instead of being towed in by a jet ski) at a site which can be lethal
2) He's 51 yrs old
3) He gets so far into the barrel that the mist obscures him
4) When he's done, he just sits and absorbs the moment

____________

Peter Mel rode one of the biggest and most perfect waves ever surfed at Mavericks, Half Moon Bay, California.

On January 8, 2021, the 51-year-old surfer from Santa Cruz paddled into a 30-foot barreling wall of water, drew a perfect line, and exited the tube untouched into the channel.

A closer look reveals he had to negotiate a few steps before pulling in and making history.

Mel may very well have ridden one of the finest waves ever at the infamous cold water surf break.
Videographers shooting from land said he was so deep inside the barrel he wasn't even in the frame.
Peter Mel described his experience as a "monumental day" and "one of the best paddling sessions from the last decade at Mavericks."
The veteran big wave surfer knows the Northern California spot well.
Mel has been riding Mavericks for a few decades and, whether he's wearing a jersey or simply free surfing, he masters the multiple variables at play here.