Who ever heard of surfing in land-locked Munich? It happens to be quite a tradition, dating back to 1972 where locals would find waves on the Isar River that created man-made hotspots for surfers. The one that seems to have the most staying power (perhaps because it’s in the center of town and pulls the most captive viewers) seems to be in the English Garden. It’s a little spot where the Isar River flows through an underground tunnel and creates the perfect wave for surfing. The river is known as Eisbach or the Ice River, and on weekends you can find as many as 10 surfers in line there. But a warning to the adventurous – the rocks are only about 40 cm below the surface. And despite posted warnings (basically the sign says don’t surf for risk of death), the flow of water worshipers keeps growing and growing.Monday, May 5, 2008
Surf’s Up, Dude.
Who ever heard of surfing in land-locked Munich? It happens to be quite a tradition, dating back to 1972 where locals would find waves on the Isar River that created man-made hotspots for surfers. The one that seems to have the most staying power (perhaps because it’s in the center of town and pulls the most captive viewers) seems to be in the English Garden. It’s a little spot where the Isar River flows through an underground tunnel and creates the perfect wave for surfing. The river is known as Eisbach or the Ice River, and on weekends you can find as many as 10 surfers in line there. But a warning to the adventurous – the rocks are only about 40 cm below the surface. And despite posted warnings (basically the sign says don’t surf for risk of death), the flow of water worshipers keeps growing and growing.
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2 comments:
This photo and activity would be furthest from my mind when thinking about Munich. Looks a bit dangerous, too.
When I was a student in Munich in the early 1980's, I used to go swimming in the Eisbach! I don't remember any surfing though!
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