Surely, even if you’ve only a passing interest in surfing, you’ve heard of Mavericks, a big-wave spot about 25 miles south of San Francisco. It’s one of the two towers of impossibly big, scary, and dangerous waves, a cold-water counter to Maui’s Jaws. Mavericks, as well as Jaws, is a big fist of reef that punches abruptly up from a deepwater seafloor, focusing a tremendous amount of energy in one small patch of ocean. Mavericks will hold waves of any size; as the Pacific gets angrier, the waves at Mavericks just get bigger, never losing their perfect shape.
Last week, one in a series of storms raging in the Gulf of Alaska sent a particularly muscular swell more than a thousand miles that was aimed squarely at Northern California. Big-wave surfers—a decidedly separate wing of the surf spectrum from the regular workaday surfer—descend from around the world when a swell this powerful heads for Mavericks. But it’s still the local guys, from the nearby towns of Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz, that set the performance, and courage standard at the wave.
On January 8, Pete Mel, a beloved Santa Cruz pro and a standout at Mavericks for decades, rode, quite simply, the most incredible wave ever seen. It’s the beautiful and frustrating nature of surfing that there aren’t really standards one can apply to wave size and ferocity. It can’t be said that Mel finally rode a wave of a certain size that surfers have been chasing for years. He didn’t perform a maneuver surfers have tried and failed to achieve for countless winter seasons. He didn’t thread an unthreaded line, the way a climber might be the first to send a devilishly hard route. Every wave is different, and Mel likely assumed this was just a good, big wave when he paddled into it, with no thought to the possibility he might be seconds away from making history.
So, here’s the wave. You’ll want to watch this wave on a desktop, or laptop, filled to full screen. Seriously, if you’re reading this on a phone, wait until you have access to a larger screen. It will be worth it.
There is a moment, a few beats after he gets to his feet, when the full power of the wave begins to draw water off the reef, a shelf appears below Mel, and he pushes past it, committing himself to whatever maelstrom may come. That decision, to accept the immense danger of the moment, to trust his ability to handle it, is what separates big-wave surfers from small wave surfers that may be far more talented.
Mel arcs across the bottom of the wave, and, with nowhere else to go, relaxes and stands tall inside the barrel of what was likely a 60-foot-plus wave at takeoff. It’s impossible, even for a surfer, like your author, who has ridden waves for nearly 30 years, to understand what Mel felt at that moment. The power and the calm, the speed and the slowness of the moment, the fear and the courage. You can see all of those emotions coursing through his system as he kicks out of the wave, and sits on his board for a moment, absorbing every feeling imaginable.
Oh, and John Mel, the guy standing on the PWC in the channel? That’s Pete’s son.
There isn’t really a comparable wave to this one. Larger waves have been surely been ridden. More ferocious ones too. But the ride as a complete package of wave judgment, skill, immense power, and cartoonish perfection, stands unique and above every other wave ridden in history.
Above Youtube video is thanks to the incredible work of the folks at Powerlines Productions. Top photo is screenshot from the clip.
He towed into one yesterday that may have been even better! I like the article and stoke, but I think you’re heading into red hot debate territory (nonpolitical of course) when you claim “most incredible wave in surf history”
I’ll take that debate. I’ve been writing about surf history and culture for a decade now.
Your debate will fail. A spectacular wave to be sure but one of many over the years. Hardly the “most incredible” and certainly there are plenty of comparable ones.
Yes true i see alot in size and power in Hawaii!!!!!
So let’s debate and compare – whaddya got?
Four days later and no one has mustered a single one in dispute.
I too was skeptical of your claim, but after doing some research I couldn’t find much. The only thing I’d say is perhaps add “…captured on video” since surely there are many others. I’m sure Jeff Clark has some things to say about this 😉
Not to necessarily disagree Justin, but I reckon Conor Maguire’s effort back in Oct 2020 at Mully deserves a mention.
Pete Mel’s Mavs ride is def cleaner and deeper, and it was paddle in too, so extra prop points for that always. It’s an unreal wave, perfectly taken, no bones about it. Totally sick.
But the wave Conor Maguire caught in Oct at Mully was a total monster; an extremely heavy doubled up mutant rounding slab wave in freezing wind and water (West coast Ireland in Oct is nastier than Cali in Jan) ??? I’m not sure you can’t say it’s at least a contender.
Hydrodynamics on the Mully wave looked pretty frightening and vicious to me, maybe a bit more so than this – I’m not sure I can easily think of a wave that’s been ridden that had a nastier look to it.
Not necessarily saying it was better than Pete Mel’s ride – just a messier, nasty different kinda ride that I think gives Pete Mel’s ride (and any big wave ride) a dash for its dinero for it sheer balls out madness. I think the power of Mully that day was just off the wall.
Mully ride is a messier mutant slab on a tow in but with some pretty hair raising power, while the Mavs ride is a cleaner, deeper, paddle in on a monster barrel. Both blew my mind and I’d have a hard time saying one was obviously better than the other. That’s 2 insane rides in less than 6 months.
And as for anyone here going on about Naz…..bad news fellas, it just ain’t quite in the same league of heavy as Mavs or Mully on a mutant day. Has lots of mushy size and speed, and it’s not a wave for the feint heart, but only partially surfable and then everyone just scoots quickly outta the way – it has nothing like the nightmare impact zone kinda stuff of the waves Pete Mel and Conor Maguire rode. They are a different league of heavy. Proper ocean implosions.
Mullaghmore is so gnarly. Agreed it looked way scarier than Mel’s wave. My fave surf film segment of all time will forever be Fitzy pulling into those hell waves at Mullaghmore in Litmus, set to that haunting piano score. Gorgeous. Terrifying.
Bloody oath, Justin! Love that sequence in Litmus too. Something so raw about Mully when it goes off – it’s just a mad looking wave.
I agree with you that Mel’s wave on Mavs was pretty much just perfect, but there is something about just how far out hectic and heavy Conor Maguire’s wave at Mully was that speaks to me. So raw and wild.
Nice that the big wave boys have been having quite a year of it in the midst of the rest of the rubbish going on around the world!
Awesome Article! Thoroughly enjoyed your write-up!
Nice!but ive seen still photos far more incredible,but push your narrative in your neck of the woods,competition is good!
There’s a point where everything is amazing but ‘most incredible of all time’ ? There are meaty terrifying waves all over the planet and Mavericks is but one of them. I agree it’s great but greatest? More hype..
Props to Him,” I threaded some Big waves in my time ,Hurricane David ,Cocoa Beach Florida way back when, they were 18 to 20 ft waves ,Ocracoke ,N.Carolina ,Big Sur Cali, but this is a Behemoth of a Wave ! I Wish I had rhe chance to surf here when I lived in Cali,” Nice Job ,Mel ,Stoker for Sure !
give me a break!!!! best wave ever, seriously? it was nice and we’ll ridden. but come on! check Billy Kemper at Jaws and then get back to me with that shit.
To paddle into a wave like that is incredible. It looked like a tow was necessary. What a feat! Really really amazing! That’s an understatement too.
I’ve been waiting years for this. I can not keep my mouth shut for decades and now it is time. Before anyone calls me out you’d best be careful. Yes this historical wave was ridden and to perfection and no one can take it away. But he did tow in.and that is where the line is. Perfection is a paddle take off,whereas he was towed in. Comes the debate
I still have a problem. You see.martin potter is credited with being the first tow in surfer and they are inaccurate. When I showed Martin, and this was in newport beach early eighties I couldn’t get him up to tow him. To stand up is a tricky deal and most couldn’t get the procedure down and the day I showed him which was at the same time and swells that took out the HB pier. What I’m saying is I’m the first to tow in and the credit was given to potter. The tow man that pulled me through was the funny car driver Billy Mccahill when we were living on 34 and seashore. Pictures are never taken by us but someone.might have taken pics from beach but I’ve never heard of any photos ever taken. And if you did take a pic I’d love to see one. I can almost saw finding a pic of our tow in days is impossible. But it did happen.
Herbie Fletcher talks about doing tow-ins in the early 80s too, in Hawaii. He claims he’s the first.
Maverick…one of the greatest waves in the world! A lot of big wave rider (including Kai Lenny) were present that day!
Maybe for a documented mavs wave thats fair enough. But don’t even compare to 20ft Hawaiian scale Sunset Beach in the 70s on a 7’9 single fin, ask BK.
Uh, what about covid?
‘Whoa, he’s under the water’ – I think my 4 year old approves too!
As a life-long surfer, I can’t say enough about what Pete Mel did on this wave. There have been other waves and other days – waves we’ve seen at places like Jaws, Teahupoo and a certain big day at Tavarua in Fiji a few years back, come to mind. But, this is Mavericks. Cold, dark, brooding and deadly, with two-wave hold-downs a regularity. The fact that Pete was willing to, first, position himself so impossibly deep in the lineup, make the drop after paddling in – and then drive from there, up and into the bowl section, to stand tall in the tube….man, it’s just unreal
Um, Billy Kemper’s ride at Jaws last year?
Kemper’s was an amazing wave. Nutso. But I’m gonna go with Mel’s. He’s so deep, he’s wearing a wetsuit, hood, and booties, Mavs is a far more intimidating setting than Jaws, Mel’s is a bigger wave, and he rides it with a bit more style and aplomb than Kemper. Kemper’s wave was rad. Mel’s has mesmerized the surf world in a way Kemper’s didn’t.
Keep in mind too that Mel is like 6’3″ and Kemper, well, isn’t. I’ve met Billy and I’d be shocked if he was over 5’9″ — Mel is a huge man looking very tiny on a huge wave.
The problem is no good front video of the ride. The channel version we always see doesn’t show the depth of the tube.
Seach youtube. There is a front on video, however, you don’t see Pete until he comes flying out standing tall….
Fair assessment I think, though I felt compelled to mention Kemper’s wave cuz he was ludicrously deep in that barrel. Stoke all around!
Legend!! No debate. It’s just a feeling. My hands get sweaty watching this wave.
Ride Teahupoo when those long hollow barrels quake and thunder to double or triple overhead then spit you out like a merciless invader… my friends then make your decision
I’d say the guy at nazare did Peter Mel at least one up. That was a rare wave to get tubes at Mavericks. And you’re wrong about it holding any swell. And really wrong saying it’s perfect. Anyway Imo
All you guys that surf huge waves are respectable. My favorite part of the take off is that bump that almost looks like a complete double up. He navigates it perfectly like the seasoned veteran. Just so fluid. The barrel was pure style with guts.
Bravo
I am very proud of all the Big Wave riders of Mavs . Truly you are all very inspirational.
How big Is the wave?
meh.
Such an interesting debate. I’d have to agree with the perspective that Mavs requires a special sort of confidence and willpower. Some other waves that come to mind are Nate Florence or Matahi Drollet at Teahupoo and maybe even Ramon Navarro at Cloudbreak. Nazare would never be on my list, although I respect anyone that wants to go surf it when it’s maxing!
Not debating. But as somebody who is not in the sport and has seen some crazy vids out of Nazare, can you explain a bit about why it would never be on your list. Interested in more knowledgeable opinion from you here.
Nazaré doesn’t break with the same power of a spot like Mavericks. It’s also not paddled into at the same size as Mavericks, most of the huge waves ridden at Nazaré are ridden by tow-in surfers. Nazaré breaks over uneven and shifting sandbars, as opposed to the unmoving reef below Mavericks, and the nature of those sandbars and the shape of the beach means swells are pushed into a radical teepee shape at Nazaré, so they rise quite high, but the waves don’t fully unload, they tend to break gradually, only in the top third of the wave, whereas Mavericks breaks top to bottom, a much, much more ferocious wave.
Thanks! That’s very helpful.
What an incredible accomplishment ! So awesomely scary!
The harsh conditions and the water temperature make this even more stupendous.