Tandem surfing: there are 68 different lifts | Photo: Noosa Festival of Surfing

The 2015 SeaHawaii Tandem Surfing World Championship will take place on December 5-6th or 12-13th, depending on the surf forecast, at Makaha Beach, Hawaii.

The invitational event will feature 16 of the world's best tandem teams, and returns to Hawaii for the first time since 2009.

"This year's championship has special meaning because it is being hosted at Makaha Beach," explains Tiffany Rabacal, co-president at ITSA.

"This will be the world's single largest gathering of tandem teams since ITSA's first World Championship in 2006 in Hawaii."

"We'd especially like to thank Mel Pu'u for graciously including our event as part of his 10th Annual Waterman Championship contest."

Tandem surfing, at a recreational level, started back in the 1920s on the beaches of Waikiki. What once was a simple, recreational activity, evolved into advanced acrobatics and 68 official complex lifts.

This particular combination of skill and grace is why many consider modern tandem surfing one of the more challenging surfing disciplines to master. And what about the teams competing for glory?

Kalani Vierra has won four titles. As relatively new partners of two years, he and Krystl Apeles won last year's Makaha event and the Duke's OceanFest 2014.

Apeles is a fashion designer from Kauai. Vierra is a top waterman and lifeguard from Kauai. Their home break is Pakalas.

Chuck Inman and Lauren Oiye have been a team for four years. They are from Honolulu, and Queens is their home spot.

Lauren competed in sports acrobatics and Junior Olympics synchronized swimming, and Chuck is a trainer. They are the 2012 ISA world champions and 2012 ITSA World Tandem Tour champions.

Rico Leroy and Sarah Burel won the 2013 ISA title in France. They have been surfing together for more than ten years and live in Aquitaine, France. Their home break is Lacanau.

ITSA World Tandem Tour | History of Champions

2013 - Rico Leroy & Sarah Burel (Lacanau, FRA)
2012 - Chuck Inman & Lauren Oiye (Waikiki, HAW)
2011 - Chuck Inman & Tiffany Rabacal (Waikiki, HAW)
2010 - Rico Leroy & Sarah Burel (Lacanau, FRA)
2009 - Rico Leroy & Sarah Burel (Lacanau, FRA)
2008 - Kalani Vierra & Eliza Vierra (Kauai, HAW)
2007 - Kalani Vierra & Blanche Yoshida (Kauai, HAW)

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