'Mad Dog' Marcio Freire dies in surfing accident in Nazaré, Portugal

Reuters via NBC News ^ | 1-6-2023 | Reuters

[Saije]

Veteran Brazilian surfer Marcio Freire died on Thursday while practicing tow-in surfing on the giant waves in Nazaré on the central coast of Portugal, the local maritime authority said.

Support staff on jet skis managed to get the 47-year-old to the beach, but all attempts to revive him failed.

Freire was one of the three Brazilian surfers who became known as the “Mad Dogs” after conquering the giant wave “Jaws” in Hawaii. They were featured in the 2016 documentary Mad Dogs.

[Saije]

That whole jet ski towing surfer thing seems a bit insane.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I am not being sarcastic when I say he at least died doing what he loved.

There are much worse ways to go.

RIP Mr. Freire.

[Rummyfan]

I am not being sarcastic when I say he at least died doing what he loved.

Agreed. I doubt he would have done anything differently.

[Rummyfan]

RIP.

[dragnet2]

Now he’s known as, “Dead Dog”.

[Rummyfan]

Although I would think 47 is a bit old to be testing the giant waves. I highly recommend the documentary Riding Giants about the early days of big-wave surfing.

[READINABLUESTATE]

He found that perfect wave and rode it all the way to heaven.

[Berlin_Freeper]

This why I swim in the lake.

[353FMG]

Live on the edge — fall off it.

[dfwgator]

Wonder if he could have suffered a heart attack?

[DPMD]

More like a wave of nausea. A big one.

[Steely Tom]

Imagine the amount of horsepower it would take to make that wave artificially.

[V_TWIN]

Your not being sarcastic......my 1st thought also.

Certainly better than gettin’ hit by a bus.

RIP

I hope he’d had a relationship with our Creator.

[frithguild]

Live on the edge — fall off it.

Eagles fly high, but weasels never get sucked into a jet engine.

[SgtHooper]

He’s all washed up!

[SamAdams76]

The more innocent days of couch/bed surfing.

Being transported back in time to Southern California in 1962 would be ideal. Jan & Dan on the radio, a woody surfwagon in the garage and showing your girlfriend how to surf in her bedroom with her mother's approval.

Those were the days when America was great.

[353FMG]

So what are you trying to say? That you’re an eagle?

[DesertRhino]

And when surfers were Endless Summer cool, not violent territorial assholes looking for fights with someone else who dares to get in “their” water.

[sit-rep]

i’ve been a waterman my whole life and back in the day caught some major slabs around the world. I always thought it back 45 years ago and to this day, anyone who tackles Nazare has a death wish period. That is just plain stupid!! I dont care how good you are...

I stick to kiteboarding now that i’m old and gray. hit 3 places a year!!

[frithguild]

I’m old, so a weasel obviously 🙄