Justine Dupont’s à la folie showcases the “best year” of her surfing life
From her beloved Nazaré and across the seas to Mavericks and Jaws, Justine Dupont just compiled a career season, but the Frenchwoman is far from finished.
Over the 2020/21 Northern Hemisphere winter, French surfer Justine Dupont put on what some are calling the most dominant performance that female big wave riding has ever seen. Now, thanks to à la folie, a Red Bull Media House 32-minute biopic, you can join her for the highest highs and lowest lows, life-changing wipeouts and insane barrels.
“À la folie means ‘with a lot of passion’”, says Justine. “It does for me anyway, because otherwise, it means ‘madness’, and that’s not what I see my surfing as. I definitely have a lot of passion when it comes to surfing big waves.
“Last year was my best season yet, so it was a great feeling to have that all captured in this film, to show off how I was feeling, how I do everything with my team, and all of the work beyond just the surfing.”
Justine Dupont’s history with surfing hasn’t always been geared towards big waves; rather, this has been a passion developed over years of exploring the ocean and all that it has to offer. She first started surfing at age 11, stealing her father’s shortboard to sneak off to the beach and get a few waves.
A runner-up finish in the World Junior Championships in 2011 announced her arrival on the shortboard scene and she quickly qualified for the Championship Tour later that same year. Injury cut short her major league dreams but it didn’t stop the silverware mounting up on her multi-disciplinary mantlepiece.
From world stand-up paddleboard titles to finals finishes in the world longboarding Dupont could do it all, but when she first tasted the adrenalin of tow surfing at Belharra, at home in France, she finally found the discipline that would come to consume her every waking moment. Shortly after the big wave passion gripped her, Dupont moved to Portugal to tackle the infamous Nazaré whenever it broke.
Two Nazaré Tow Challenge victories later, her talents have now seen the Frenchwoman cross the seas to tackle Mavericks in California and Jaws in Maui, where she successfully navigated the best female tube ride of all time.
“It’s nice to be recognised as one of the best big wave surfers in the world, for all sorts of reasons,” says Justine. “I’ve dedicated myself to Nazaré, to big waves, and it makes me feel like I’m doing the right thing. Being recognised means that I can follow my dreams, and follow the storms and the waves I want to surf.”
Strap yourself in, hit play on the video above and prepare to enter the world of Justine Dupont, you're in for the ride of a lifetime. Bon voyage!
Justine Dupont bio: win.gs/JustineDupontBIO
Twelve things you probably never knew about Justine Dupont: win.gs/JustineDupontAtoZ
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