Surfing is once again allowed on Munich’s famous wave, announced the new mayor of the Bavarian capital, after months of controversy involving the practice of the sport on the Eisbach river, in the Jardim Ingles park.
However, only experienced surfers can venture into the waves, according to an ordinance issued by Mayor Dominik Krause, of the Green Party, on Friday (8), hours after the formation of a new municipal government coalition.
“Surfing the Eisbach is part of the Munich lifestyle; the Eisbach wave is a city landmark,” said Krause. The ordinance allows “skilled and experienced river surfers” to surf there “at their own risk” until 10 p.m.
“We are happy, relieved and deeply grateful to see this place come back to life,” said the Munich Surf Club on its Instagram profile. “But no one should claim this moment for themselves,” he added, emphasizing that the wave returned naturally, and not thanks to politicians.
New rules after fatal accident
The rules also establish measures such as the mandatory use of a safety cord that automatically releases under strong tension, to prevent surfers from being pulled underwater by the current.
This was exactly the cause of the accident that led to the closure of the wave last year. Access to the wave was blocked for several months in early 2025 following the death of a 33-year-old woman whose lifeline became caught in the bottom of the current while she was surfing at night.
Surfing was briefly allowed again in April 2025, but was banned again by the previous mayor so the river could be cleaned.
The wave, however, suddenly disappeared at the end of October, after cleaning and drainage work, only reappearing a few weeks ago. Some surfers have already ventured into surfing illegally, as authorities had not yet given permission to practice the sport in Eisbach.
When the wave disappeared, angry surfers held demonstrations and tried to recreate the attraction by placing a beam in the water, which was removed by authorities.
“Mother of all river waves”
The so-called “Eisbach wave” is a must-see for surfing lovers in the southern German city and one of the hottest spots in the summer. The wave in the artificial canal diverted from the River Isar has been a tourist attraction in the Bavarian capital since the 1980s.
Called the “mother of all river waves” by SurferToday.com, the wave was created by surfers who placed concrete blocks in the creek bed in 1972 to generate a strong current.
Surfing there would only be officially authorized decades later, in 2010, when the wave was already famous.
