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> News > Justine Dupont surfed The greatest wave of her life in Nazaré

surfing News

Justine Dupont surfed The greatest wave of her life in Nazaré

French big wave surfer Justine Dupont is seen during a surfing session in Nazaré, Portugal on November 13, 2019. Dupont went on to surf a potential record-breaking big wave during this session. The official wave height is currently being determined to be a contender for a new world record for Dupont for Largest Wave Surfed Unlimited-Female. Image credit: / Rafael G. Riancho / Red Bull Content Pool

15 November 2019

On Wednesday, November 13, Justine Dupont, 28, had spent the day in the cold water, surfing for hours on end. Seeing others heading back, she decided to try it one last time. The French surfer's ride is a contender for a new world record. Here is all you need to know about the wave of a lifetime:

- She explained: "We'd already been in the water for four hours. 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!"

- "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. I'm so stoked I made it. A mad, intense wave. The greatest wave of my life"

- 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?"

- The official wave height is currently being determined to be a contender for a new world record for Dupont for Largest Wave Surfed Unlimited-Female.

- An experienced big wave surfer, Dupont admits that this type of wave is “hard to deal with.” In fact, she’s spent the last three winters in Nazaré, Portugal to train specifically for it.

- 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. I don’t know if it was a record, but it’s definitely my personal record and I’m really proud of it."

More footage and further information is available here.