Pete Mel Dominates Mavericks Awards; Justine Dupont Wins Female Performer of the Year
Friday May 14, 2021
At 6 p.m. on the evening of May 13, the inaugural Mavericks Awards were broadcast right here on
The Inertia. Big wave contests are hard to do right. They’re generally one-day events. But the Mavericks Awards succeeded in that it was a culmination of a season’s worth of video clips from the iconic wave, submitted for judges at the end of the waiting period. Thursday night celebrated the hard-charging winter that was, a moment to salute the big wave world.
As many would expect following his season of highlight reel moments at gigantic Mavericks, it was a clean sweep by Mr. Peter Mel. Mel won Best Barrel, Male Performer of the Year, Biggest Wave, and Ride of the Year. Always a standout with her skill and willingness to charge, France’s Justine Dupont nabbed Female Performer of the Year. “When I came to Mavericks,” Dupont said in her acceptance speech, “my goal was to put time in the water. To improve on my skills, my equipment, figuring out the lineup, and improving my paddling. Definitely, I think this award is the cherry on top of the cake.”