The city's wave riders feeling stunned as iconic water surge vanishes

A stationary surge in an urban waterway that served as a surfing magnet for more than four decades has vanished, leaving urban surfers high and dry.

Water levels in the "ice brook" dropped last week for yearly maintenance along the streambed.

But when the barriers were removed and the stream resumed flowing again on Friday, the Eisbach wave failed to appear as usual.

"We're at a loss," wave rider Klaus Rudolf told a publication. "I stood at the bank with my board on Friday night and was astonished."

The river surge in the city park has grown into an icon in the southern German city since unofficial wave riders 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 wave enthusiasts to identify a speedy fix so that the renowned water surge will return shortly again as usual," Mayor Dieter Reiter announced Tuesday.

Exactly why the surge disappeared was still unknown on Tuesday, as stated by municipal representatives.

The latest maintenance removed obstructions from the waterway bottom and examined the channel.

"No alterations were performed on the river surge or its edges during the cleanup," the authorities stated, and an inspection of the site earlier this week did not reveal structural issues.

Recovery attempts underway

Authorities intend to redirect additional flow from the Isar River into the Eisbach in hopes the wave reappears.

The Eisbach wave is widely regarded as the biggest and steadiest inland water surge in the center of a large urban area, and has become a tourist attraction in Bavaria's state capital, which is typically recognized for beer and sausage at the yearly festival.

The surf association head, head of the local surfers' association the surfing organization, informed news agencies in July that 3,000 to 5,000 Munich wave riders use the Eisbach wave.

"Wave riding is part of the lifestyle in Munich," he said. "Not just for the riders personally, but also for the urban identity."

Safety measures implemented after recent incident

Previously, the Eisbach wave had recently resumed after a lengthy shutdown following the spring tragedy of a 33-year-old Munich woman who became trapped beneath the water while riding waves after dark.

Since it reopened, updated regulations banned night-time surfing and set a minimum age of 14 to brave the water.