Munich's Surfers Left Stunned After Famed River Wave Vanishes
A standing wave in a Munich stream that has been a surfing magnet for more than four decades has vanished, leaving urban surfers high and dry. The Eisbach wave, a landmark in the Bavarian city, has become a permanent surfable presence since the 1980s. But when the gates reopened and water began to flow again on Friday, the wave did not form as usual.
"We're at a loss," surfer Klaus Rudolf told Stern magazine. "I was standing at the edge with my board on Friday evening and couldn't believe it."
The city administration is working with the Water Management Office and surfers to find a quick solution so that the famous surf wave will soon be available again as usual, Mayor Dieter Reiter said in a statement. However, the exact reason for the wave's disappearance remains unclear.
The recent work cleared debris from the streambed and inspected the waterway. "No structural changes were made to the Eisbach wave or its banks during the cleanup," the city said, and an inspection of the site on Monday did not reveal any damage. Officials plan to divert more water from the Isar River into the Eisbach in hopes that the wave will reappear.
The Eisbach wave is generally considered the largest and most consistent river wave in the heart of a major city and has become a tourist attraction in Bavaria's state capital, which is otherwise known for beer and sausage at the annual Oktoberfest. Franz Fasel, head of the local surfers' association IGSM, told AFP in July that 3,000 to 5,000 local surfers use the Eisbach wave. "Surfing is simply part of the lifestyle in Munich," he said. "Not just for the surfers themselves, but also for the city's image."
At the time, the Eisbach wave had just reopened after a months-long closure following the death of a 33-year-old Munich woman who became trapped under the surface while surfing at night. Since it reopened, new safety rules have banned night-time surfing and set a minimum age of 14 to brave the water.
