Article content

Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien was strapped to a wakeboard on Monday morning, speeding behind a boat in North Carolina.

Video footage of the 79-year-old in a wetsuit was circulating online Tuesday, showing Mr. Chrétien’s attempts at the water sport.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Jean Chrétien's excellent adventure: 79-year-old former prime minister goes kite boarding Back to video

He was able to balance himself on the board during his first try, said an impressed Ty Luckett, who captained the chartered adventure.

“He’s a strong man for his age, I can tell you that,” Mr. Luckett said from a dock in Buxton, N.C.

Cpt. Luckett says he discussed the trip over “a couple of dinners” with Mr. Chrétien, whom he met through mutual friends. The former Liberal leader has rented a house near the seaside town, Mr. Luckett said.

As they embarked on Monday, the captain was feeling uneasy.

“I was slightly worried, because of his age. It was a lot of responsibility,” he said. “But he actually surprised me. He’s super strong.”

The original plan was for Mr. Chrétien to kite board, but the lack of wind prevented the kite from pulling him along the water. Instead, Mr. Luckett attached Mr. Chrétien’s harness to a rope and towed him behind the 26-foot boat.

The video was posted to Youtube with Mr. Chrétien’s permission, Mr. Luckett said.

Over his political career, Mr. Chrétien orchestrated several public feats of strength, the most famous being a ’90s photo-op of the then Liberal candidate waterskiing — an answer to criticism that he was “yesterday’s man.”

National Post