The city's surfers feeling stunned as famed river wave disappears

A stationary surge in an urban waterway that has been a wave-riding hotspot for over 40 years has disappeared, stranding city wave riders high and dry.

The water volume in the Eisbach were lowered recently for annual cleanup work along the river bottom.

However, once the gates reopened and the stream resumed flowing last Friday, the Eisbach wave failed to appear as usual.

"We're at a loss," wave rider Klaus Rudolf told Stern magazine. "I stood at the bank with my surfboard on Friday night and was astonished."

The Eisbach wave in the Englischer Garten park has grown into an icon in the southern German city since rogue surfers in the 1980s turned it from an occasional natural phenomenon to a permanent surfable presence.

Municipal authorities pledge rapid resolution

"Local government is cooperating with the water authorities and surfers to identify a speedy fix so that the famous surf wave will return shortly to its normal state," the city's mayor announced this week.

The precise reason the wave vanished was still unknown on Tuesday, as stated by city officials.

The latest maintenance removed obstructions from the streambed and inspected the waterway.

"No structural changes were made to the river surge or its edges throughout the maintenance," the authorities stated, and an examination of the location earlier this week showed no structural issues.

Recovery attempts underway

Officials plan to divert more water from the nearby river into the stream in attempts the surge returns.

The Eisbach wave is widely regarded as 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 typically recognized for brews and bratwurst at the annual Oktoberfest.

Franz Fasel, leader of the wave riders' group the surfing organization, told news agencies in summer that 3,000 to 5,000 Munich wave riders use the Eisbach wave.

"Wave riding is part of the lifestyle in Munich," he said. "Not just for the surfers themselves, but also for the city's image."

Precautionary rules established after previous event

At the time, the Eisbach wave had just reopened after a months-long closure following the April death of a 33-year-old Munich woman who became trapped under the surface while surfing at night.

After returning to use, updated regulations banned night-time surfing and set a minimum age of 14 to enter the stream.