French surfer Justine Dupont won the women's event of the 2021 edition of the “Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge” organized on Monday by the World Surf League (WSL) on the Portuguese spot designated by this body as “the biggest wave in the world” .

She had the best performance for women, as in 2020, dominating Brazilians Maya Gabeira and Michelle des Bouillons.

On the men's side, the Brazilian Lucas Chianca won the event.

The point, in pictures, in waves 15 to 20 m high.


Director:

Olivier JUSZCZAK

  • Aged 30, Justine Dupont is a French professional surfer, multiple world champion of the XXL Awards, an award dedicated to big wave surfers around the world.

  • As in 2020, she achieves the best female performance of this new edition of the “Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge” of the World Surf League (WSL).

  • “Tow surfing” consists of being towed by a jet-ski towards the face of the wave in order to surf waves so big that it would be impossible, or too dangerous, to catch by rowing with the strength of his arms like this is the case in classic surfing.

  • The “Praia do Norte” offers exceptional conditions for surfing giant waves due to the geological phenomenon known as the “Cañon de Nazaré”.

  • It is a fault, at the bottom of the sea, 170 km long and 5 km deep, in which the swell of the Atlantic Ocean rushes before being propelled towards the surface when reaching the coast.

  • Conditions that favor the creation of giant waves ranging from 15 to 20 m high.

  • The French Justine Dupont dominated the Brazilians Maya Gabeira and Michelle des Bouillons.

  • On the men's side, Brazilian Lucas Chianca won the special stage.

  • He beat his compatriot Pedro Scooby on waves that are impressive for most surfers.

  • Waves, however, do not reach the bar of 20 m in height from which the records already set on the famous Portuguese spot were played.

  • It was at "Praia do Norte" that the world record for the biggest wave ever surfed was broken twice: first in 2011 by the American Garret McNamara (23.80 m), pioneer of the surf spot. Nazaré, then by the Brazilian Rodrigo Koxa (24.38 m), in 2017.

  • Portugal

  • Sport

  • Extreme sport

  • Surf

  • Wave