Kalani Vierra got an unexpected birthday gift last week.

He and his daughter, Ala, were declared the 2008 World Tandem Tour champions.

The Vierras were at their home in Koloa, Kaua'i, when informed of the news.

"Just being able to compete with my daughter this year was like a championship to me," Vierra said. "But to get it in our first year ... that's really special."

In the sport of tandem-surfing, the male serves as the "base" and must lift the female into various poses while surfing. Think of it as gymnastics while riding waves.

Vierra is 43 and a lifeguard captain on Kaua'i. Ala is 11 and in the seventh grade at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School.

The Vierras entered four events on the 2008 tour. They won contests in California and Florida, placed second in Australia, and then fifth at Waikiki.

The final event of the tour is scheduled for this week at France. The Vierras were unable to attend the contest due to travel costs and work/school schedules, so they were expecting the French team of Rico Leroy and Sarah Burel to clinch the world title.

But apparently several other international tandems were not able to attend the final contest in France, so tour officials downgraded it. Because of that, the Vierras had enough points to clinch the 2008 world title.

"I guess everybody not being able to afford the travel worked out for us," Vierra said.

Ala said: "It's kind of cool to win it. My dad was so happy when he found out because it was like a big birthday present."

It is the second consecutive World Tandem Tour championship for Vierra, who won it with Blanche Yoshida in 2007.

Ala would often accompany her father to the practice sessions in 2007, and eventually decided to try it herself.

"She was taking gymnastics for a couple years before that, so she had the flexibility and form," Vierra said. "But she's still young and didn't have the experience, so we really had to work at it."

What's more, Vierra said he had to adjust to the pressure of putting his daughter in precarious situations.

"I treat her like a fragile piece of glass," he said. "It's way different from Blanche because Blanche had a lot of experience in the ocean and she had no hesitation. With my daughter, I really took it slow. We just worked our way up until she got more and more comfortable, especially in the bigger waves."

Vierra's wife, Tracy, served as the manager of the tandem. She booked the travel and accompanied them to most of the contests.

"It truly was a family effort," Vierra said. "That was actually the best part about the whole thing."