Simply show a picture of yourself river surfing and then go shred. Photo: O2 SURFTOWN MUC
Germany’s only wave pool stepped in to fill the surfing void after Munich’s premier river wave shut down. When the famed Eisbach disappeared in early November because of a city-run dredging project, O2 SURFTOWN MUC offered free sessions to river surfers throughout the month.
As a result, more than 1,000 free sessions were redeemed by Eisbach surfers — €120,000 ($139,000 USD) worth of surf sessions. Any surfer who could show a photo of themselves riding a river wave was awarded a session.
“The response impressively shows how strong the Munich surf community stands together,” Jonas Boehm-Tettelbach, co-founder of the wave pool, said in a press release. “The Eisbach influenced the origin of SURFTOWN – and especially now, with the Eisbach wave being un-surfable, we wanted to give something back. We’re happy for the huge participation.”
According to an NPR report, the Eisbach disappeared on November 2 due to the effects of a dredging project on the river. City engineers lowered water levels to remove potential dangerous sediment build up. However, when the river flow was restored, the wave was too tame to ride.
“They took a bit too much out which used to lay on the ground of the wave. And the wave is not forming properly now,” Alexander Neumann, a local surfer, told NPR.
“It’s a whitewater wash now because, as you can see, the water that’s coming out from the two channels, it’s not finding any resistance after because it’s going down,” Neumann added. “And then you have the backwater that’s coming. So that’s why it’s breaking in itself.”
For a day or two local surfers secretly installed an illegal, makeshift ramp on the river bottom to make the wave return, but that was subsequently removed.
The city has dedicated engineers to solving the problem of the disappearing wave. The latest reports indicate that the wave remains unrideable.
Earlier this year, the Eisbach was closed for more than two months following the death of a surfer. Authorities warned that anyone who attempted to ride the wave could face fines of up to €50,000. After petitions from the local surf community to reopen the wave, access was restored on June 27 under new rules: surfers must use the buddy system, wear quick-release leashes if they choose to wear one, and surf only between 5:30 a.m. and 10 p.m.
