B.C. Premier Christy Clark is definitely not interested in going kitesurfing naked with flamboyant British billionaire Richard Branson, saying she found his invite "disrespectful."
Clark met Branson last week after his airline, Virgin Atlantic, made its inaugural flight from London to Vancouver. At a press conference afterward, Clark told the Brit about B.C.'s beautiful kite-surfing waters around Tofino, on Vancouver Island and offered to take him on his next visit.
Branson then wrote on his blog Monday that he asked the "delightful" Premier Clark to kitesurf while riding on his back.
"One thing though - I forgot to tell her about the dress code! Well, here it is," he wrote under a photo of him kitesurfing with a naked model clinging to his back.
"The offer still stands Christy!" he wrote.
Clark told reporters Tuesday she found the invite and the accompanying blog post disrespectful.
She then quipped: "If that's his best pickup line then maybe there's a reason he called his company Virgin."
While she mostly laughed off the incident, she added that she expected a little less sexism from Branson.
"I just don't think it's very respectful. The thing is, lots of young women, I hope, want to run for politics. I think when you meet with the CEO of a billion-dollar company, who wants to do business with your province, you can get a little more respectful treatment than that."
Clark's office issued a written statement earlier, saying Branson is well-known for his brashness and ability to generate media coverage.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Ed Watson
