It’s true. Barack Obama has learned to kiteboard! Sir Richard Branson invited President Barack Obama down to the BVI for a challenge. Branson was learning to foil board and thought is would be fun for Obama to give kitesurfing a try at the same time. The learn to kiteboard/foilboard challenge was born. Who could get the longest run on the final day?
“As you can see in the video, Barack and I both fell many times, but we kept trying again and again and made progress over the days. We were neck and neck until the last run on the last day, when I got up on the foilboard and screamed along for over 50 meters, three feet above the water. I was feeling very pleased with myself, only to look over and see Barack go 100 meters on his kiteboard! I had to doff my cap to him and celebrate his victory.
After all he has done for the world, I couldn’t begrudge him his well-deserved win. Now he has left, I’m going back into the water to practice for the next challenge. On his next visit, we plan to do the long kite over to Anegada together. Next time, may the best (British) man win!”, Branson wrote.
President Barack Obama joins the growing list of influential people that love to kiteboard. Former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien took a lesson in the OBX after leaving office. Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin were at the forefront of kiteboarding in it’s early days and former US Senator John Kerry is another high profile American politician that enjoys kiteboarding in his spare time.
Check out the story on the Virgin site from Richard Branson about the fun challenge. https://virg.in/ZWz
