The city's wave riders left stunned as famed river wave disappears

A standing wave in a Munich stream that served as a wave-riding hotspot for over four decades has disappeared, stranding city wave riders without their waves.

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

However, once the gates reopened and water began to flow last Friday, the famous surge failed to appear like it typically does.

"We're baffled," surfer Klaus Rudolf stated to a publication. "I stood at the bank with my surfboard on Friday night and was astonished."

The river surge in the city park has grown into an icon in the southern German city since rogue surfers in the eighties transformed it from an occasional natural phenomenon to a permanent surfable presence.

City officials vow rapid resolution

"Local government is working with the water authorities and surfers to identify a speedy fix so that the renowned water surge will return shortly again as usual," Mayor Dieter Reiter said in a statement this week.

Exactly why the surge disappeared was still unknown as of this week, according to municipal representatives.

The recent work cleared debris from the streambed and examined the channel.

"No alterations were performed on the Eisbach wave or its edges during the cleanup," the city said, and an inspection of the site Monday showed no structural issues.

Restoration efforts underway

Authorities intend to divert more water from the Isar River into the stream in hopes the surge returns.

The Munich river surge is widely regarded as the largest and most consistent river wave in the center of a large urban area, and has grown into a visitor draw in Bavaria's state capital, which is otherwise known for beer and sausage at the annual Oktoberfest.

The surf association head, leader of the wave riders' group IGSM, told news agencies in summer that 3,000 to 5,000 local surfers frequent the river surge.

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

Safety measures implemented after previous event

At the time, the river surge had just reopened after a months-long closure following the April death of a 33-year-old Munich woman who got caught beneath the water while surfing at night.

After returning to use, new safety rules banned night-time surfing and established an age requirement of 14 to brave the water.