Since his retirement from the presidency just a few short weeks ago (yes, it’s only been a few short weeks) Barack Obama has been treating himself to some unbelievably well deserved R&R. To help out with this much-needed relaxation, friend Richard Branson invited Barack and wife, Michelle, down to the British Virgin Islands to spend a little time in the sun.
According to Branson, one of the first stories that the former president told him upon getting to the island was “…how, just before he became President, he had been surfing on a dangerous break in Hawaii. When he came in from an exhilarating session, the new head of his security team turned to him and said: ‘This will be the last time you surf for eight years.’” So, all throughout his two terms, he wasn’t able to enjoy surfing or watersports like he used to. That said, Branson was happy to introduce him to kitesurfing—something that only really took off after Obama had to step away from the water.
To make learning a little more interesting, they decided to create a friendly challenge. Since Barack had never kitesurfed before, and Branson had been wanting to try foilboarding, they set out to determine who could pick up their designated sport first. I have to say they both did really well, as you can see from the video below, but in the end Obama won. While watching them compete is definitely entertaining, I really think the best part of the video is watching just how much our 44th president is enjoying himself.
Images by Jack Brockway
