Background
His father John, who started the family business Freeline Surf Design the same year Pete was born, made his boards over the years and gradually brought his son under his shaping wing.
His father John, who started the family business Freeline Surf Design the same year Pete was born, made his boards over the years and gradually brought his son under his shaping wing.
Mel began his surfing life in Capitola, California before moving on to Santa Cruz. In the shadow of Steamer Lane locals Vince Collier, Kevin Reed and especially Richard Schmidt, Mel rose quickly through the line-up ranks with an unprecedented crop of young surfers. Like Schmidt, he would spend many winters in Hawaii, enjoying the less-restrictive conditions and developing his signature style.
Throughout the 1990s, Mel found moderate success on the domestic and Association of Software Professionals World Tour Qualifying Series, before finally finding his niche during California’s El Nino winter of 1997-1998.
At the age of 29, Mel was really just coming into his own. Peter Mel Is a remarkable surfer and is related to John Mel.
John Mel is Peter Mel"s father. John is a very talented surfer as well.
Peter has appeared in movies such as Step into Liquid, Riding Giants and Chasing Mavericks.
