Richard Branson kiting with Adventure Sports in Noosa

It isn't every day you get to take a chopper to the start of your downwinder but that is exactly what Adventure Sports senior Instructor George had the chance to do. Taking a back seat to Sir Richard, he flew from Makepeace Island to Stumers Creek where the Adventure Sports team had prepared all the equipment for Richard Branson's first downwinder in Noosa.

Sir Richard was joined by his friend and former business partner Brett Godfrey. Brett is a former student of Adventure Sports and regular visitor to Noosa.

George, Fiona and their youngest son Liam joined Richard on the water ensuring he safely navigated the pristine Noosa beaches. With consistent south easterly winds and small waves the conditions turned out to be perfect. The rest of the Adventure Sports team including Rachel and Simon assisted from the beach and took some photos, cleared away the gear and chased us down the beach in the vehicles, along with looking after Richard's personal photographer James who managed to snap some great shots for the media.

The logistics were likened to that of a covert mission, but it was very exciting for everyone involved. Sir Richard took the process in his stride and was wonderfully gracious to the entire team. This type of carefully planned day out was obviously a standard for him.

The local kitesurfing community were awesome, in true Aussie kiting style they totally respected his privacy, giving our celebrity visitor plenty of space to enjoy the location. He plans on visiting Makepeace Island a little more often in the future, so keep an eye out, you might see him joining the locals for a session.