Seamus Makim – IBA Water Cameraman & Website Content Manager

ID: Seamus Makim, 30 years old
Sport: Water, Running, Kickboxing, Yoga, Horse Ridding

How long are you a bodyboard photographer?
I have been shooting video from the water for 12 years and shooting photos form the water for 6 years.

This last event was really good, and once again you were the taking some shots. What was the feeling of be shoting one of the heaviest waves of the world with the best riders riding it hard?
I love shooting from the water with the best riders in the world because I am there with them, I have the best seat in the house, it is such a rush being in the barrel with them or under an aerial maneuver. I like the challenge to shoot water in big waves, you have to know the wave and know where to sit in the lineup to get the shot you want and not get destroyed by the wave. It is all about having fun and getting a great shot.

All your work is fantastic but sometimes it can get really dangerous like in FRONTON. Tell us what happened in there.
Fronton is a very dangerous wave to shoot in the water. The right is harder and more dangerous to shoot than the left. I have only been caught a few times on the inside, sometimes you are lucky and a wave comes and pushes you to the channel and safety, and other times you are not lucky and she pushes you to the rocks and the cliff.

During the El Fronton IBA Invitational the conditions were so hard to shoot, there were 8 foot rights and a crazy sideshore wind pushing me to the peak, the whole time I spent fighting and paddling against the wind and current looking over my shoulder waiting for the sets, eventually I got caught trying to film Andre Botha coming out of a barrel, he didn’t come out and the section closed out on me, 6 waves later I managed to escape into the channel, I was so close to the cliff I couldn’t have reached out and touched it with my hand. I remember thinking “shit I am actually going to get washed up the cliff”, luckily there were only 6 waves and not 7 in the set!

If you needed to choose only one wave to keep shooting for the rest of your live, wich one would you choose? Why?
I haven’t found that wave yet I could shoot for the rest of my life, I am sure she is out there, I am still looking. However I think I would be happy shooting Teahupoo for the rest of my life if I could, I have never been there yet.

Do you have any special place where you want to go to take some photos that you have not went yet?
I would love to go explore Namibia and shoot there, the water colour isn’t very good but I think there must be some amazing waves.

Do you just take photos of bodyboarding actions?
I’m a bodyboarder, so I live and breathe boadyboarding, I really only shoot bodyboarding, but sometimes you need to shoot other things to pay the bills.

What’s the feeling of be swimming next the line up of heavy waves like fronton, the box, pipeline, just waiting for the best moment for the shot?
In the moment I don’t really feel much, I am more concentrating on being in the right spot and not the wrong spot, tunning my camera settings and reading what the waves are doing. Every now and then though when I know I just got a great shot it is a pretty special feeling of stoke and excitement. The best feeling though is when I get out and look at the photos with the riders and seeing their expression. 

What’s the meaning of bodyboarding and photo shooting in you life?
Wow haven’t been asked that before…. I think bodyboarding is about being happy, enjoying the waves and also having the access to ridding waves that others can’t. It is about exploring and looking for those waves that people say n you can’t surf that it is too hard.
Taking photos of these moments is just a means to stay longer in the water and learn the waves and capturing short moments of beauty and power. It keeps me stoked on life.

Do you have other job or you just live of taking photos of bodyboarding for IBA?
Now I am just working for the IBA, trying my best to make the new tour a success and tell the world about bodyboarding. I am also a Dad so that is taking up all my time.

This year we have been seeing that the format of the competition as changed, redbull entered with a big sponsorship and the live stream is near of perferction….what do you think about all this? How this will be good for the bodyboard all around the world?
I think Bodyboarding as an action sport has a huge potential to be supported by bigger companies so that more children around the world can have the opportunity and luck to live and breathe such a great sport. What you have seen from the Pipeline and Box Events are just the start and by no means are perfect, we can always do better there is no limit.

The most important thing is the money generated by the sport is for the sport. It is so important that all those groms out there that call themselves bodyboarders support the bodyboarding brands and not the ones that are trying to hold the sport back, also it is important that those companies that call themselves bodyboarding brands do support the sport and sponsor events and riders fairly and not exploit this huge potential the sport has.

With bodyboarding support from the riders and companies combined with a strong professional LIVE webcast tour, we will help Bodyboarding realize this potential.

To finish… describe your passion about these two types of art (bodyboarding and photography) in a few lines.
I love being in the ocean. Bodyboarding and photography/cinematography helps me live what I love. Why do anything else?

Thanks Seamus for this opportunity!!