Justine Dufour-Lapointe | Passion rediscovered

No matter our age, no matter what we do in life, a career change is intimidating. Sometimes even terrifying. But for Justine Dufour-Lapointe, it had become necessary.

A little trip back in time, to the 2022 Beijing Games to be exact. The skier falls in the final of the moguls event. His competition is over. Not exactly the scenario that the gold medalist in Sochi in 2014 and silver medalist in PyeongChang in 2018 envisioned, let’s say…

A long questioning followed. Stop or continue? For Dufour-Lapointe, the answer lay somewhere between these two options. She had largely covered the bumps. The passion had faded with time. But there’s no question of putting away your skis.

“I noticed in my last years in moguls that I enjoyed learning and developing as a skier. But I think at one point I felt a little out of breath from the environment. When you’ve been doing the same thing for 12 years, you know poutine,” she confided during a generous interview with The Pressmardi.

It is finally towards a discipline then unexplored for her, off-piste skiing (or freerideif you prefer), that she will find her salvation. And these are the stages and challenges linked to this transition to this new sport that will be discussed in the documentary The big leap: Justine Dufour-Lapointe’s bet. The first two episodes will be posted online on the Tou.tv platform on January 21, while the other two will follow on February 18.

“Leapting into the unknown, changing careers like that at 30, it was daring. But for me, I had nothing to lose, just everything to gain,” she emphasizes.

“Skiing purism”

What exactly does it eat in winter? freeride ? In summary, these are descents on natural slopes, without any special arrangements. Competitors are brought by helicopter to the top of the mountain and often find themselves at the mercy of the elements.

After discovering this sport, particularly on social networks, Dufour-Lapointe decided to devote himself to it and thus “experience the purism of skiing”.

“It was a little crazy to imagine falling back on the rocks, to have the courage to launch into the unknown,” she describes. But I think I was hungry for adventure. I clearly had faith in myself, you have to believe! »

Obviously, the transition to this type of skiing did not go too badly: Dufour-Lapointe was crowned Freeride World Tour world champion in her first competitive season, in 2023.

“I think it was my greatest victory at the end of that year,” she remembers. To tell myself: cuddle, a year ago, I was crying at [Pékin] Beijing, and there I am winning and lifting the world champion trophy into the air. »

A mother’s vision

The euphoria of triumph was, however, tragically cut short. After just one event in 2024, Dufour-Lapointe had to interrupt his season to go alongside his mother Johane, who was suffering from lung cancer. She passed away on March 21.

“It was a heartbreaking choice to stop skiing like that, but at the same time, it was the best decision of my life to be with her. I don’t think I will ever regret it,” she says with emotion.

It was by following the teachings of his mother, who always told him that he had to follow his dreams and his passions, that Dufour-Lapointe let himself be convinced by the freeride. “It was his vision of life that we should live 100%. […] I knew there was a part of her that was extremely proud of me,” she says.

Now she is preparing to take the reins again for the 2025 edition of the Freeride World Tour, which will open in Spain on January 18. Coincidence: the last stage of the season will begin on March 21 in Switzerland. One year, to the day, after the death of Johane Dufour.

The skier anticipates the moment somewhat, we can understand that. She knows that the emotion is likely to be at its peak at the top of the mountain, in the moments before its descent.

“I’m definitely going to miss my mother,” she admits. It’s sure going to be tough. Any moment I will miss her. She leaves a huge void. At the same time, I think she would be really happy to know that I’m doing this and continuing to follow my dreams. That’s what she would want. »

Until then, beyond another championship, Justine Dufour-Lapointe has only one goal for the next year: “ski with a smile every day”. Driven by this renewed passion for the sport that she loves so much.

All this under the watchful eye of mom, without a doubt.