Justine Dupont Takes A Horrible Wipeout At Nazare

Frenchie Justine Dupont currently sits at 12th on the WQS rankings and, it turns out, has a pretty serious penchant for the bigger stuff.

Hailing originally from the relatively gentle beachies of Lacanau, over the years Dupont has taken on some of the worlds heaviest big wave behemoths, including Bellhara, Mavericks and even Mullaghmore.

“When I was young I was really scared of big waves.” Dupont told sponsor Redbull in a recent interview. “I was annoyed by that situation however, so slowly I pushed myself to surf bigger and bigger conditions. Now I love it, and am looking to tackle as many big swells as I can. Every big wave session leaves you with different memories, and I love the vibes in the lineup. People look out for each other, and are genuinely interested in seeing people do well. I am happy when I see someone catch a bomb, and it’s the same feeling when I catch a good wave too!”

Earlier this week Dupont set out to tackle Nazare – a wave she’s had her sights set on ever since visiting the break a few years ago. Whilst she didn’t get too many bombs, it’s great to see her out there mixing it up in serious solid waves, and we look forward to seeing her continuing her journey to becoming a force to be reckoned with in the ever growing women’s big wave community

“To me, surfing big wave means you are a complete surfer who knows a lot about having the right equipment, knowing the waves, and really learning how to read and predict forecasts. Above all you need to learn about the ocean, and how to respect it. I am definitely still at school!” she said.

Cover shot: Vitor Faneca Estrelinha // WSL Big Wave Awards