The veteran Brazilian surfer Marcio Freire died on Thursday (5) while surfing the giant waves of Nazaré, on the central coast of Portugal, according to local maritime authorities.
Rescue teams on jet skis managed to bring Márcio, 47, to the beach, but all attempts to revive him failed.
Márcio Freire was one of the pioneers of big wave surfing. At 23, the Bahian surfer went to Maui (Hawaii) and became known for riding Jaws – considered the best big wave on the planet – solely by paddling.
In 2017, Márcio Freire’s pioneering spirit was depicted in the documentary Mad Dogs – a Hawaiian slang term loosely translated as “Crazy Dogs” – directed by Roberto Studart. The film tells the story of Márcio and two other Bahian surfers – Danilo Couto and Yuri Soledade – who surfed Jaws with faith and courage, at a time when it was common for jet ski assistants to pull surfers to the wave formation. Additionally, the use of safety equipment (life jackets) was common.
Nazaré has some of the largest waves in the world. They are amplified by an underwater canyon 5 kilometers deep that ends where the North Atlantic meets the coast near an old fishing village.
Source: CNN and Agência Brasil