Munich's wave riders left stunned as iconic water surge vanishes

A standing wave in an urban waterway that has been a surfing magnet for more than four decades has disappeared, leaving urban surfers high and dry.

The water volume in the "ice brook" dropped last week for annual cleanup work along the river bottom.

However, once the barriers were removed and water began to flow again on Friday, the Eisbach wave failed to appear as usual.

"We're at a loss," surfer Klaus Rudolf stated to Stern magazine. "I stood at the edge with my surfboard on Friday evening and couldn't believe it."

The Eisbach wave in the city park has become a landmark in the Bavarian city since rogue surfers in the 1980s turned it from an sporadic water event to a permanent surfable presence.

City officials vow quick solution

"Local government is working with the water authorities and surfers to identify a speedy fix so that the famous surf wave will soon be available again as usual," Mayor Dieter Reiter said in a statement Tuesday.

The precise reason the wave vanished remained unclear as of this week, according to city officials.

The recent work cleared debris from the streambed and inspected the waterway.

"No alterations were performed on the river surge or its banks throughout the maintenance," the authorities stated, and an examination of the location Monday did not reveal structural issues.

Restoration efforts underway

Authorities intend to divert more water from the Isar River into the Eisbach in attempts the wave reappears.

The Eisbach wave is generally considered the largest and most consistent inland water surge in the center of a large urban area, and has grown into a visitor draw in Bavaria's state capital, which is typically recognized for beer and sausage at the yearly festival.

Franz Fasel, leader of the wave riders' group IGSM, told AFP in summer that 3,000 to 5,000 Munich wave riders use the Eisbach wave.

"Wave riding is integral to the culture in the city," he said. "Not just for the riders personally, but also for the city's image."

Safety measures established after recent incident

At the time, the Eisbach wave had just reopened after a lengthy shutdown following the April death of a local surfer who became trapped beneath the water while surfing at night.

After returning to use, new safety rules banned night-time surfing and established an age requirement of fourteen to brave the water.