Justine Dupont has a new film out that chronicles her best season yet. Photo: Red Bull Content Pool//Fred Pompermayer
Justine Dupont is, without a doubt, one of the best big-wave surfers in the world. The 2020/2021 season was a bit of a defining one for her, and a new film, À La Folie, explores it in detail.
When Dupont was 11 years old, she stole her dad’s surfboard and snuck off to a beach in Lacanau. It was the start of a life that revolves around the ocean. It was quickly apparent that she had a serious knack for surfing, and began competing in contests. By 2011, she hit the runner-up spot in the World Junior Championships, and it was clear that she was going to be a force to be reckoned with.
The next year, she qualified for the 2012 WSL CT, but the week before her first event at the highest level, she hurt herself while training and lost her spot. Instead of giving up, though, she focused her energy on getting better — and not just on a shortboard. Over the next few years, she won a handful of European Longboard titles and became the 2019 ISA Stand-Up Paddle World Champion.
And then she tried big-wave surfing. It was a life-before and life-after moment; one that would define her career path in stark relief. Her first time tow surfing was at Belharra, and she knew from that moment that was what she wanted to do. She packed her bags, moved to Portugal, and began the rest of her life. Cutting her teeth at Nazaré prepared her for just about anything the big-wave world could throw at her. She’s proven her skills at Maverick’s and Jaws, winning numerous XXL Awards, and taken two Nazaré Challenge titles. The world has taken notice of her immense talent.
Justine Dupont blew minds at Maverick’s. Photo: Red Bull Content Pool/Fred Pompermayer
“The first time I met Justine was over at Nazaré,” said Kai Lenny. “Pretty immediately I noticed her comfort level was really, really high, in one of the most treacherous oceans that I have ever experienced. Justine just struck me as someone highly dedicated to the game. She’s a total badass and the kindest person possible.”
Dupont’s passion for big-wave surfing is unparalleled, which is where the name of the film came from.
“À la folie means ‘with a lot of passion,'” she says. “It does for me anyway, because otherwise, it means ‘madness’, and that’s not what I see my surfing as. Last year was my best season yet, so it was a great feeling to have that all captured, to show off how I was feeling, how I do everything with my team, and all of the work beyond just the surfing. I’m never looking for a win. I surf for myself. I only care about the waves.”
Watch the full film on Redbull.com
