Since leaving the White House, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama have been living the good life. Making good on his promise to go on a two-week vacation, the former First Couple have been travelling quite a bit since Donald Trump’s inauguration. After a short stint in Palm Springs, the Obamas then flew over to an island owned by famed billionaire Richard Branson.
We’ve since seen a few photos and videos of the Obama’s vacation leak out, including a shot of Obama donning a backwards baseball cap. Clearly a brilliant fashion choice, the backwards baseball cap lets everyone know — fans and critics alike — that the post-Presidency Obama is down to party and is really intent on embracing that laid back island lifestyle.
And lest you think that Obama is all show and no action, the former President recently went kitesurfing on Moskito Island, located on the British Virgin Islands.
What’s that you say? You need to see it to believe it?
Say no more.
Branson earlier today took to YouTube and posted a video showcasing a few highlights of Obama’s kiteboard adventures.
Branson also provides us with an interesting backstory to the above video:
One of the first stories Barack told me when he and Michelle arrived on Moskito 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.” For the next eight years he didn’t have the chance to surf, enjoy watersports or do many of the things he loved.
So it was tremendous to offer him the chance to learn to kitesurf. The sport has really taken off in the past decade and we have the perfect conditions and team to help anyone learn. I have also wanted to learn foilboard surfing. So we decided to set up a friendly challenge: could Barack learn to kitesurf before I learned to foilboard? We agreed to have a final day battle to see who could stay up the longest.
All in all, not a bad way to spend a retirement.
