Bio - Tandem Surfing - Chuck & Tiffany

BIO - Tiffany Rabacal

Hometown:        Honolulu, Hawaii (Kalihi)
Resides:            Honolulu, Hawaii (Waikiki)
Occupation: Document Solutions Executive @ Xerox
Height:              4'11-1/2"
Weight:             109 lbs
Stance:             Goofy
Began surfing:   Tandem - 2002 / Longboard - 2005 / SUP - 2008
Personal quote: "Life isn't about ‘what ifs’."
Sponsors:          Roxy, Jensen Precast, Kauai Gymnastics, Glenn Thering - The Lomi Guy

Tiffany's Background

Tiffany Rabacal was born and raised in Hawaii, but didn't start surfing until well after college at the age of 23. Prior to that she attended Hawaii Pacific University on a full academic scholarship while competing in different years on the nationally ranked HPU Cheerleaders and HPU Dancers programs. As one of the only females who has competed on both teams at the university, she was on the HPU Cheer team that finished third at the Division II NCA Nationals in 1999 and on the HPU Dancers team that became the NDA Division II National Champion Runners-up in 2000. In 1999 she was also contracted to choreograph a routine for the Oahu Bowl collegiate football game half-time show.

Tiffany graduated in 2001 with a BSBA degree in Marketing and chose to enter the competitive world of sales in Corporate America. However, she missed the fun of performing and the challenge of athletic competition, so she continued to coach and choreograph for a local All-Star cheer program and gymnastics gym.

While teaching in 2002, Tiffany was introduced by a fellow coach to Jim Moore, an experienced tandem surfer, who was looking for a new partner. The only requirements were that she had to be small and could swim. Although she had never surfed before, she agreed to give it a try and ended up loving the sport. Her partnership with Jim continued for the next three years, highlighted by a win at the 2004 Steinlager Pro-Am contest in Waikiki and a feature role in the winning Ocean Recreation Short, “Two Mo’ Bettah’”, at the 2005 Hawaii Ocean Film Festival.

Tiffany later partnered with Bear Woznick in 2005 to pursue competitive tandem surfing on the international level. In July of that year they travelled to France and placed third at the Biarritz Surf Festival, in what was then the largest professional tandem surfing competition in the world. Unfortunately, she suffered a knee injury later that year during a bad tandem wipeout resulting in a torn MCL that sidelined her for three months. Although her eventual return to tandem surfing was challenging, she was determined to compete again at the international level and found a new partner.

A brief interim partnership with Roman Schwoebel followed with whom she advanced through the trials and into the main event for the 2006 ISA World Championship. Numerous shoulder and neck injuries continued to bother Roman preventing him from continuing to train after 2006. Soon after, Chuck approached Tiffany asking her to partner with him to compete on the inaugural 2007 ITSA World Tandem Tour.

BIO - Chuck Inman

Hometown:        Portland, Oregon
Resides:            Honolulu, Hawaii (Waikiki)
Occupation:       Personal Fitness Trainer for Seniors
Height:              5'10"
Weight:             165 lbs
Stance:             Goofy
Began surfing:   Longboard - 1992 / Tandem - 2006 / SUP - 2007
Personal quote: "Follow your heart, you'll never regret it!"
Sponsors:          Quiksilver Waterman Collection, Walden Surfboards

Chuck's Background

Chuck Inman learned to surf at the age of 18 in the chilly waters off the Oregon Coast in thick wetsuits, booties, gloves and hoods not knowing that one day he would call the warm waters of Hawaii home. A close family friend of his introduced him to the sport and he and was quickly drawn into the lifestyle.

During this time Chuck also attended Pacific Lutheran University and was on both the NAIA Division III football team, and the track and field team. After graduating in 1996 with a BA degree in Health and Fitness Management, he turned his athletic pursuits to surfing.

Post-college, Chuck built and owned a successful tent rental company that he eventually sold to have more time for other opportunities. With more time on his hands he started taking trips to Hawaii a couple of times a year to get his surf fix and soak up the warm weather.

Chuck made his trips to Hawaii permanent at the end of 2005 and moved to Waikiki right across the street from Queens, which is now his home break. In a career change, he became a self-employed personal fitness trainer for seniors. His first client, Bear Woznick, just happened to be a tandem surfer who was training for the inaugural International Tandem Surfing Association (ITSA) World Title that was coming up in the summer of 2006. At Bear’s constant urging, Chuck eventually agreed to give tandem surfing a try and was paired almost immediately with his first partner, Shannon O'Neill.

Soon after, Chuck met former French tandem surfing champion, Marie Vigne, by chance on the beach in Waikiki and jumped at the opportunity to partner with her. The pairing of Chuck's strength and Marie's experience paid off at the 2006 ITSA World Championship and they placed 5th - narrowly missing the podium after advancing through the trials to the main event. Later that winter, Marie contemplated returning home to France and Chuck chose to search for another tandem partner to compete with on the newly formed ITSA World Tandem Tour in 2007. The partner that he chose to recruit was Tiffany.