Surfing
Surfing
Justine Dupont surfed the greatest wave of her life and we're mind blown
The French surfer successfully rode the highest wave she’s ever tackled in Nazaré, Portugal on November 13. Did she just set a new world record?
She'd spent the day in the cold water, surfing for hours on end. Seeing others heading back, she decided to try it one last time.
And that’s when Justine Dupont, 28, faced the wave of a lifetime.
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Justine Dupont surfs a huge wave in Nazaré
See Justine Dupont pushing the limits in Nazaré.
"We'd already been in the water for four hours," she explained. "We were freezing and wanted to leave.
"Our mate Andre, who was on the cliff with the radio, told us a big set was coming. We saw it and decided to stay a bit longer. As soon as Fred [her boyfriend Fred David who was on a jet ski towing her] told me to go in the water, I saw the wave. It looked huge!
Justine Dupont surfs the greatest wave of her life in Nazaré, Portugal
© Rafael G. Riancho / Red Bull Content Pool
"When I let go of the rope I felt that I was going faster than usual. The GoPro flashed me at 66kph. I was flying. My board felt amazing. The feeling of having something so huge behind my back was so weird. The shadow of the lip was far in front of me. I wanted to make it down the wave and ride it until the end so bad."
While this wave isn't officially measured yet, Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira still holds the record for the highest wave ever surfed by a woman with a 20.7m-high wave, which she surfed in October 2018.
Surfing legend Garrett McNamara took to social media to ask the question.
"Looks like it might be the biggest wave ever ridden by a woman? Biggest wave of the day by everyone? Biggest wave of the year?"
Justine Dupont in the aftermath of the same Nazaré session (different wave)
© Rafael G. Riancho/Red Bull Content Pool
A special mention goes to her friend, Clément Nantes, who took care of her safety on the second jet ski. Nantes' presence enabled Dupont to feel more confident and ready to perform.
“The bigger the wave, the faster it goes, the more perturbations you face, the more time you spend in the air," she said.
"I'm so proud of our team and our evolution here in Nazaré. Can’t wait to keep pushing our limits together."
