LISBON—Veteran Brazilian surfer Marcio Freire died on Thursday while practicing tow-in surfing on the giant waves in Nazare 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 featured in the 2016 documentary Mad Dogs.
Tributes from other surfers poured in on Instagram.
“He surfed all day with a big smile on his face. That’s how I’ll keep him in my memory. Legend,” posted fellow big wave surfer Nic von Rupp….