Surfing
Surfing
Learn the self-awareness habits Justine Dupont adopts when big wave surfing
French surfer Justine Dupont joins Cédric Dumont on the Mind Set Win podcast to share the winning mindset she's developed during her glittering big wave surfing career.
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From Jaws in Hawaii to Nazaré in Portugal, Justine Dupont has surfed some of the biggest waves on the planet during her trailblazing career.
The nature of her sport means she's completely alone against the elements in their purest form, and for Dupont it's being connected to herself that enables her to find a moment of inner calm during the storm.
With waves more than 60ft [18.3m] high crashing all around her, the 31-year-old has the self-awareness to absorb and adapt to her dramatic surroundings, becoming “free, like the water”. And it’s this mentality that’s been crucial to many of her memorable successes.
After explaining how she achieves this optimal mindset on the latest episode of the Mind Set Win podcast, host Cédric Dumont provides an exercise to help us all understand and master our own mental narratives, which are the stories we tell our brains.
Listen to the podcast in full below:
Read on to learn just some of the topics Dupont touched on in her chat with professional BASE jumper and high-performance psychologist Dumont.
If you want to surf you need to be free, like the water
01
Connect with your senses to feel in the moment
Dupont admits to feeling pressure and nerves while waiting for a big wave to hit. A technique she’s learned to embrace the situation is to be more connected with her senses.
“I can feel the temperature of the water,” she says. “I can taste the salty taste of the water. I can see the colour of the wave and hear the birds. I am just focused on being in the moment.”
02
Turn fear into positive energy
1 min
Justine Dupont surfs a huge wave in Nazaré
See Justine Dupont pushing the limits in Nazaré.
“In some big spots I feel scared and this gives affirmation to my body.”
When Dupont feels scared in the water, her body naturally knows, without her even thinking about it, that it needs to be 100 percent focused. It’s for this reason she’s able to consistently perform when it really matters.
“If you want to surf, you need to be free, like the water. Absorbing everything, being able to adapt, not even thinking, just being.”
03
Two minutes a day can make a difference
Alongside daily yoga, meditation and breathing sessions, Dupont now also makes a conscious effort to be fully present at various moments throughout her day.
“Right now, I’m trying to do, every day, two minutes, just putting my feet in the grass and being present,” she explains.
“As soon as you wake up, you want to drink a glass of water. If every day you are present when doing this, it’s a first step.”
04
Feeling the benefits is a process
“I think I felt the benefits right away a little bit, and then a little bit more every day. It’s a process,” Dupont says.
Training your mental narrative is like developing a muscle – it won’t happen overnight. Only by practising daily and being patient will you truly unlock the benefits.
Find out more – including simple exercises to do at home – in Mind Set Win.
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