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

A standing wave in an urban waterway that has been a surfing magnet for more than four decades has disappeared, leaving urban surfers high and dry.

The water volume in the "ice brook" dropped last week for yearly maintenance along the streambed.

But when the barriers were removed and the stream resumed flowing last Friday, the famous surge did not form like it typically does.

"We're baffled," surfer Klaus Rudolf told a publication. "I stood at the bank with my board on Friday night and couldn't believe it."

The river surge in the city park has grown into an icon in the Bavarian city since unofficial wave riders in the eighties transformed it from an sporadic water event to a consistent surfing spot.

Municipal authorities pledge quick solution

"The city administration is cooperating with the water authorities and surfers to find a quick solution so that the famous surf wave will soon be available again as usual," Mayor Dieter Reiter announced Tuesday.

The precise reason the surge disappeared was still unknown as of this week, as stated by municipal representatives.

The recent work cleared debris from the streambed and inspected the waterway.

"No structural changes were made to the river surge or its edges throughout the maintenance," the city said, and an inspection of the site 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 Eisbach wave is generally considered the largest and most consistent inland water surge in the center of a large urban area, and has grown into a visitor draw in the regional capital, which is otherwise known for beer and sausage at the annual Oktoberfest.

Franz Fasel, leader of the wave riders' group IGSM, told news agencies in July that 3,000 to 5,000 local surfers frequent the river surge.

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

Precautionary rules implemented after recent incident

At the time, the river surge had recently resumed after a months-long closure following the April death of a 33-year-old Munich woman who got caught under the surface while surfing at night.

Since it reopened, updated regulations banned night-time surfing and set a minimum age of fourteen to enter the stream.