The Latest Episode Drop Is Here
Conner Coffin sits down for an episode of Cold Beer Surf Club with Santa Cruz legend, Mavericks pioneer, and all-around surf icon — Peter Mel just a day after the Big Wave Awards. They dive into the kind of conversation you can only have after a lifetime in the water.
Pete looks back on The Eddie and the celebration of big-wave surfing — the camaraderie, the chaos, and the clarity that follows once the spray settles. He talks through his 2021 Ride of the Year at Mavericks, a 30-year buildup to one perfect wave, and the unexpected solitude that came after.
Crack a cold one and watch Episode 16 of the Cold Beer Surf Club below.
The talk moves between the peaks and valleys that define a life in surf: the recovery, the discipline, the mindset it takes to still be charging at 55. Pete opens up about the dark times too — addiction, self-doubt, and the slow rebuild that came through finding joy in the ocean again.
From growing up in Santa Cruz to helping shape the Mavericks scene, Pete’s story is as much about resilience as it is about waves. He shares insight into working with Channel Islands Surfboards, his connection with Darc Sport, and what it’s like running Freeline Surf Shop in a changing surf world. They touch on the next generation of big-wave riders — the kids with cameras, YouTube edits, and something to prove — and how the culture keeps evolving while the core stays the same.
It’s a raw, grounded conversation about purpose, presence, and the pull of the ocean that never really lets go.
STAY IN THE LOOP
Subscribe to the Cold Beer Surf Club on YouTube to catch every episode as it drops or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your fix.