The city's surfers feeling shocked as iconic water surge vanishes

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

Water levels in the Eisbach were lowered recently for yearly maintenance along the streambed.

However, once the barriers were removed and the stream resumed flowing again on Friday, the famous surge failed to appear as usual.

"We're baffled," surfer Klaus Rudolf stated to Stern magazine. "I stood at the edge with my board on Friday evening and was astonished."

The Eisbach wave in the city park has grown into an icon in the Bavarian city since unofficial wave riders in the eighties transformed it from an occasional natural phenomenon to a consistent surfing spot.

City officials vow rapid resolution

"The city administration is cooperating with the Water Management Office and wave enthusiasts to identify a speedy fix so that the renowned water surge will return shortly to its normal state," Mayor Dieter Reiter said in a statement Tuesday.

The precise reason the wave vanished was still unknown on Tuesday, according to municipal representatives.

The recent work removed obstructions from the waterway bottom and inspected the waterway.

"No structural changes were performed on the river surge or its edges throughout the maintenance," the authorities stated, and an inspection of the site earlier this week did not reveal any damage.

Restoration efforts underway

Officials plan to redirect additional flow from the Isar River into the Eisbach in attempts the surge returns.

The Munich river surge is generally considered the biggest and steadiest 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 annual Oktoberfest.

The surf association head, head of the local surfers' association the surfing organization, informed AFP in July that thousands of local surfers frequent the river surge.

"Surfing is simply integral to the culture in Munich," he said. "Not just for the surfers themselves, but also for the urban identity."

Safety measures established after previous event

Previously, the Eisbach wave 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, updated regulations prohibited after-dark riding and established an age requirement of 14 to enter the stream.