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Venice Is Flooded Again; Everyone Go Wakeboarding!

Where: Venice, Italy
December 24, 2009 at 8:47 AM | by | Comments (2)

The terribly wintery weather currently hitting Europe right now is bringing the lagoon waters of Venice up into the piazzas and reminding us of one of our favorite quirky stories from last year: that of the guy who wakeboarded through a flooded St. Mark's Square. We've posted the video for you again above, and believe us that it's worth watching all two minutes because the Red Bull guy also wakeboards in a canal. This is what happens when you combine horrible weather, a sinking city, and an opportunist tourist on energy drink.

Each year, this high water, or Acqua Alta, hits the Italian city at its weakest time: when the tourists and locals are all in town to celebrate the holidays. It also doesn't help that the lowest (and therefore most affected) place in town is the visitor mecca of St. Mark's Square. When the waters get knee-high here, you'll see Venice become a network of raised platforms as sidewalks—here's a great picture to demonstrate. Come to think of it, we should add "leaving the rain boots behind" to our list of the Top Five Tourist Mistakes in Venice.

Related Stories:
· Wakeboarding In Venice: New Attraction or New Crime? [Jaunted]
· Venice flooded as Italy's bad weather continues [AP]
· Holiday Travel [Jaunted]

[Photos: AP]

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Flood

Strong winds and heavy rains, as well as the lagoon city's changing tide levels, have contributed to the high water levels of the said flood. The city is no stranger to flooding; residents don rubber boots and cross streets and squares on a series of wooden walkways erected each time the waters rise. Aside from the financial freedom issues, the city is also pointing out the flood prevention project which includes the construction of mobile, steel-and-rubber barriers which could be lowered to stop unusually high tides from the Adriatic Sea entering the city. However, the project is still hanging. Furthermore, they say the city is increasingly vulnerable to flooding, because of the gradual erosion of its foundations and abnormally high tides caused by global warming.
Ailleen on December 28, 2009 at 2:36 AM #Permalink

Wakeboarding !!

Sooooo Coooollll.
catawba57 on December 28, 2009 at 12:55 PM #Permalink

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