Famous city surf wave fails to form after annual maintenance
A standing surf wave on Munich’s Eisbach stream — a decades‑old urban landmark in the Englischer Garten — unexpectedly failed to reappear after the river was lowered for routine streambed cleanup.
Water levels in the Eisbach were reduced last week for the annual maintenance. When the gates were reopened and flow resumed on Friday, the characteristic standing wave that attracts local and visiting surfers did not form.
“We’re at a loss,” local surfer Klaus Rudolf told Stern magazine. “I was standing at the edge with my board on Friday evening and couldn’t believe it.”
The stationary wave has been a fixture since the 1980s, when adventurous riders turned an occasional natural ripple into a permanent surf spot in the heart of Munich.
City and water officials are investigating. Mayor Dieter Reiter said the city, the Water Management Office and representatives of the surfing community are working together to find a rapid solution so the wave can be surfed again.
Authorities reported that maintenance crews cleared debris and inspected the channel. “No structural changes were made to the Eisbach wave or its banks during the cleanup,” the city said, adding that a Monday site inspection found no visible damage. Officials plan to divert additional water from the nearby Isar River in hopes the wave will reform.
The Eisbach wave is widely regarded as the largest and most consistent river wave located in the center of a major city. It draws tourists and an estimated 3,000–5,000 local surfers, according to Franz Fasel, head of the local surfers’ association IGSM.
The spot had recently reopened after a months‑long closure following the April death of a 33‑year‑old Munich woman who became trapped beneath the surface while surfing at night. Since reopening, new safety measures prohibit nighttime surfing and set a minimum age of 14 for riders.
For now, regulars and visitors alike are watching anxiously as engineers and surfers test possible fixes to restore the wave that has become part of Munich’s urban identity.
