“Definitely Hitting Home Very Hard”: Tragic Demise of Maui Big Wave Surfing Legend Leads to Despair Among Other Local Legends

The first week of 2023 brought the sad news of Marcio Freire’s demise, a tragedy for the Maui surfing community. The big wave surfing legend died while doing what he loved. Freire was surfing in Nazaré, a town situated on Portugal’s central coast when the incident took place. The spot is world-famous for waves that can go as high as around 50 feet and is extremely popular amongst surfers who like to chase big waves.

Marcio Freire was riding the big waves when an accident happened that took away his life. His passing is a not-so-gentle reminder that the sea can be extremely unforgiving at times and even the most accomplished surfer might not survive the angry waves. His passing came as a shock to the Maui surfing community.

People of Maui react to the demise of Marcio Freire

Despair and melancholy were evident in the words of the Maui community, as many of them wrote tributes to the fallen legend. Yuri Soledade, a fellow surfer talked to MauiNow and expressed his grief saying, “Unfortunately it is one of those things you can’t explain what happened. The only thing that comforts me is knowing he passed away doing what he loved.” 

Soledade, who knew Marcio Freire since they were 12-year olds, and grew up in the same town, also said, “He was such a light in this crazy world that we live in — he brought so much happiness to everyone around him... And besides that, he cared deeply about this island, the environment he lived in.”

Shaun Walsh, a resident of Maui and a renowned big wave surfer said, “It’s tragic we lost such an amazing human. It’s affecting a lot of people in the community. He had so many friends everywhere. It’s definitely hitting home very hard.”

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Hawaiian Canoe Club paddling coach Paul “Kauhane” Luʻuwai, who was acquainted with Freire for two decades, said, “Freire was a good athlete and an even better human being. It’s just his whole aloha-ness. He had that aloha in his heart. He was just one braddah with aloha. Always positive, happy, never down.”

The Legacy that Freire left behind

Marcio Freire was born in Brazil, and after he achieved local fame in surfing, he moved to Hawaii. He amazed the surfing community by riding the daunting “Jaws” wave without getting towed in. But for Marcio Freire, surfing was not a profession; it was a lifestyle. He did not surf to earn, he did it to feel his soul. According to him, he was a “soul surfer”.

A documentary was released in 2016, titled Mad Dogs. It starred the three crazy surfers who decided to take on the ferocious waves of Jaws with their bare hands. Freire was one of them. The other two were his Brazilian friends, Danilo Couto and Yuri Soledade. They etched their name in the history books by riding the “Jaws”. They did it without any jet ski or other support and actually came out alive. Freire was no doubt a daredevil, a guy who loved his sport more than his life.

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