Two Australian tourists have taken our national identity as surfing larrikins to the next level by shredding in the Grand Canal of Venice, Italy.
“Here are two arrogant idiots who make a mockery of the city,” Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro tweeted last week along with a short video clip of the culprits in question.
“I ask everyone to help us identify them to punish them… To those who identify them, I offer a dinner!”
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Since then, the guilty parties who sparked widespread outrage – simply labelled “an Englishman and a Chinese” by local newspaper Il Gazzettino – have been apprehended, fined Є1,500 each ($2,150), and promptly expelled from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city.
Additionally, their hydrofoil-attached surfboards were confiscated. Which is certainly the most severe component of their punishment considering how much eFoil boards retail for — approximately €25,000 ($36,000) all up, according to BBC.
Italian authorities are currently pursuing further criminal charges.
“We have identified the two ‘heroes,'” tweeted Mayor Brugnaro.
“Without giving further details, those responsible will soon be in our custody… Thank you all for your cooperation.”
In short, this has proven to be a pretty costly stunt for the two audacious battlers.
Watch the Australian tourists surfing in the Grand Canal of Venice, Italy below.
