Watch: Big-Wave Legend and Badass Mother Sticks Late Drop at Jaws

Originally posted on SURFER | By August Howell | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 7:01 PM ET

In January 2024, Justine Dupont’s life changed forever when she and her husband celebrated the birth of their baby boy, Elio. His arrival put a pause on his mother’s worldly big-wave pursuits. But only briefly. Before Elio turned 1, Justine was already back in heavy water, killing it as per usual.

After recovering from a C-section delivery, Justine continued to train and charge with that same determination that has made her a household name in surfing. Two months after giving birth, Justine told SURFER that motherhood had motivated to maximize her time in the water for than ever before.

Justine Dupont — 2025 Big Wave Challenge (Nazaré) (0:32)

“A lot of people say, ‘Now that you have a kid you will be different in big waves’ or stuff like that,” she said. “And yeah, I will be different, but in a good way. I will be even more professional, even more organized, even more trained and efficient and more motivated.”

She’s doing just that. Justin won the 2025 Tudor Nazaré Big Wave Challenge in February (for the third time), just over a year after her son was born. In this year’s Big Wave Challenge window, Justine logged three entries: two at Nazaré and one at Jaws. In less than a week, she rode three of the Pacific’s biggest waves on the same swell: Jaws, Waimea (during the Eddie) and Maverick’s.

Her paddle entry at Peahi is a sight to behold. Steep and deep on a clean face, she holds her rail all the way to the bottom before the whitewater engulfed her. Watch it in slow motion below.

Justine Dupont — 2025 Big Wave Challenge Entry (Jaws) (0:29)

At just 33 years old, Justine's big-wave accolades are deep enough to touch bedrock. Since 2019, between the WSL, Red Bull Big Wave and Big Wave Challenge, she's earned 12 awards for Ride of the Year, Biggest Wave and Performance of the Year. But with Elio in tow, she's got the best title of all.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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