Around 4:15 p.m. Thursday, a water accident was reported at Praia do Norte, a beach in Nazare known for its surfing conditions, according to local officials. Portugal’s National Maritime Authority said in a statement that a 47-year-old Brazilian, who they later confirmed was Freire, died “after falling while surfing in Praia do Norte”. He was two-person surfing when he fell, according to Reuters. This technique uses artificial assistance, such as a boat, which allows surfers to catch faster waves better than if they were paddling by hand.
Rescuers found Freire in cardiopulmonary arrest, the shipping agency said, noting that first responders began resuscitation once they brought him ashore but were unable to save the surfer.
Nazare’s waves have been recognized by Guinness World Records as some of the biggest ever surfed. World records for the biggest wave have been set in Nazare three times since 2011. The most recent record was set in 2020, when German surfer Sebastian Steudtner rode an 86ft wave in Nazare.
Although there were accidents at the site of the big wave, authorities said Freire’s death would be the first surfer fatality in Nazare.
Freire was born in Salvador, Bahia, on the northeast coast of Brazil, and started surfing in the summer of 1985, when he was 9 years old.
“I remember I got my brother’s old board because he just got a new one,” Freire recalled in a 2017 interview with TowSurfer.com. “I just wanted my own board and I wanted to learn to surf.”
He then moved to Hawaii in an effort to ride the big waves on the outer reefs of Oahu and Maui, according to TowSurfer.com. For Freire, who said he prided himself on thinking positive thoughts and staying calm in the face of a giant swell, the bigger the wave, the greater the reward.
“It’s a special vibe when I’m coming down the line fast on a monster wave,” he told the website. “It’s the adrenaline running through my veins that makes me want more.” He added: “On big days, I feel very connected to the earth and the universe. That’s when I feel most alive!
Videos of some of his rides have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube. In 2015 he was nominated for “Wipeout of the Year” by the World Surf League for one of his outings at Jaws in Maui.
He followed that up with a nomination for “Billabong Ride of the Year” in 2016, when he finally conquered Jaws.
Freire rose to fame through the 2016 documentary “Mad Dogs.” The film tells how he and two of his Brazilian friends, Danilo Couto and Yuri Soledade, decided to challenge the giant waves of Jaws without the assistance of jet skis, rescue teams or life jackets, which was unheard of at the time.
News of Freire’s death devastated the surfing community. Riders remembered him for his great skill and kindness to his fellow surfers.
“He surfed all day with a big smile on his face,” big wave surfer Nic von Rupp wrote, according to Reuters. This is how I will keep it in my memory. Legend.”
Photographer Fred Pompermayer echoed that sentiment, saying Freire “was such a happy spirit, always with a smile on his face.” Surfer Matt Meola noted SurferToday.com that Freire changed the way big wave surfing was done with what he and his Mad Dog brothers did at Jaws.
“Marcio and the Mad Dogs changed big wave surfing forever,” he said. “They have been such an inspiration to me and so many others.”
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