John Mel is a competitive surfer and actor. He was born and raised in the coastal town of Santa Cruz, California into a surfing legacy under his namesake, his paternal grandfather, a surf shop owner, and his father, Peter Mel, Big Wave World Champion of 2012. At the tender age of six, he learned to surf on his own in the warm waters of Mexico, though he still resided in Santa Cruz. Under the guidance of his father, he continues to relish the surfer's lifestyle. Though he is a young competitor, John holds three National titles in surfing and is an up and coming international competitor. He is also an endorsed athlete who represents his sponsors with esteem in catalogs, e-commerce, ad-campaigns and in the pages of surf magazines and websites.