Triangular multicoloured sails jumping and steering drawing majestic dances on the surface of the sea, into a sunset flame red horizon while the wind rushes them forward at full speed towards imaginary finishing lines in splashes of foam and waves.
This is the spectacular game of shapes and colours that is created in the water in front of the city of Livorno every time the wind «turns well». Precisely a few meters away from the port there is one of the most interesting and well known places for surf lovers, known as the «Tre Ponti» (three bridges), where sportspeople meet to practice a few hours of pure energy riding the waves on their multicoloured boards.
Also, as a result of the attention captured and the appeal of the place, just over a month a ago an interactive website was created, where lovers of this discipline and of the sea can find every type of information on the weather conditions of the area as well as a web cam that gives a live picture of the sea in front of the Tre Ponti area. The website's name? 3ponti.it, naturally.
The webcam, which also presents us with incredible sunsets (in the picture) is positioned on the roof of the stand L'AcquaMarina, managed by Aldo Garzelli, right at the entry of the parking for Tre Ponti, where during the weekend or in any occasion of favourable wind, you'll find a crowd of cars loaded with boards and sails ready to take over the sea.
A very useful site to get information on weather conditions, with real time monitoring, were you can also use a number of free services for the surfing community: subject-related forums, chatrooms, messages among the subscribers, news and mailing lists.
The website, produced with the consultancy of three sector experts Massimo Tronconi, Stefano Baldacci and Paolo Bragagni, has finally concretised the idea, born a year ago, of creating an interactive website to supply information and innovative services to the surfing community.
(Photo by Massimo Tronconi)
February.2003
3ponti (In Italian)
Waytuscany.net (In Italian)
APT Costa degli Etruschi
