Peter Mel is no stranger to cold, heavy surf. Having won the 2012 Mavericks Invitational, the Santa Cruz local has been charging massive waves since his early days. Despite strong winds and dangerous conditions, Mel looked surprisingly at home during his Round One heat. The 48-year-old came out on top in a stacked heat against Alex Botelho, Jamie Mitchell, Tom Butler, Carlos Burle, and Aaron Gold.
Mel displayed his technical prowess on a lefthander, earning him a 7.33 and the highest score of the early rounds.