The “mother of all river waves” in a German canal that is often credited as the birthplace of freshwater surfing has mysteriously disappeared after decades of flowing smoothly, leaving enthusiasts dumbfounded.
The famous stationary wave in the southern city of Munich is known as the Eisbach, or “ice brook”, for its frigid temperatures, and has become a pilgrimage site for surfers worldwide.
Unlike ocean surfing, its freshwater cousin takes place on a “standing wave”, which is often human-made, with currents often flowing over a concrete slab that manipulates the water into a permanent wave.
The sport’s origin is often cited as dating back to the early 1970s, when rule-breaking daredevils rode the naturally forming wave in Munich for the first time.
Today, river surfing has a global following, including in the River Severn in the United Kingdom, where surfers ride tidal bores, a phenomenon in which incoming tides form waves that move up a river.
In Hawaii, surfers also make river waves by digging a trench between a river and the ocean, with water flowing violently over the sand.
The Eisbach wave was originally believed to be formed by gravel, but the Munich surfing community later installed wooden planks that helped artificially stabilise the wave. Over the decades, it has become a major tourist draw for Bavaria’s state capital.
Largest during the winter months – when ice melt can push the wave up to one metre high – the river is now officially managed, including being drained once a year to clean away debris and inspect the streambed.
View image in fullscreen People look at the spot where there once was the Eisbach wave in Munich. Photograph: Michael Nguyen/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
But after torrents were released back into the canal following its cleanup on Friday, the Eisbach wave did not form as usual, instead leaving unstable white water rapids.
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