A standing wave in an urban waterway that served as a surfing magnet for more than four decades has vanished, leaving urban surfers without their waves.
Water levels in the "ice brook" dropped last week for annual cleanup work along the streambed.
However, once the barriers were removed and the stream resumed flowing last Friday, the Eisbach wave failed to appear as usual.
"We're baffled," wave rider Klaus Rudolf stated to a publication. "I stood at the bank with my surfboard on Friday night and couldn't believe it."
The Eisbach wave in the Englischer Garten park has become a landmark in the southern German city since rogue surfers in the 1980s transformed it from an sporadic water event to a permanent surfable presence.
Municipal authorities pledge quick solution
"Local government is cooperating with the Water Management Office and surfers to identify a speedy fix so that the renowned water surge will soon be available to its normal state," Mayor Dieter Reiter said in a statement this week.
The precise reason the wave vanished was still unknown as of this week, according to city officials.
The latest maintenance cleared debris from the waterway bottom and examined the channel.
"No structural changes were performed on the river surge or its edges during the cleanup," the city said, and an examination of the location earlier this week showed no structural issues.
Recovery attempts underway
Officials plan to redirect additional flow from the Isar River into the stream in attempts the surge returns.
The Munich river surge is generally considered the biggest and steadiest inland water surge in the heart of a major city, and has become a tourist attraction in Bavaria's state capital, which is otherwise known for brews and bratwurst at the annual Oktoberfest.
Franz Fasel, leader of the wave riders' group IGSM, told AFP in summer that 3,000 to 5,000 local surfers frequent the river surge.
"Wave riding is integral to the culture in Munich," he stated. "Not just for the surfers themselves, but also for the city's image."
Precautionary rules established following previous event
Previously, the Eisbach wave had just reopened after a lengthy shutdown following the spring tragedy of a local surfer who became trapped under the surface while surfing at night.
After returning to use, updated regulations prohibited after-dark riding and established an age requirement of 14 to enter the stream.
