Row deepens over vanished river wave in Munich as authorities prevent activists from reviving it

Surfers ride the Eisbach (ice creek) wave during freezing conditions on the Isar River in the English Garden in Munich, southern Germany on January 4, 2017. A temporary ramp which had provisionally restored the famous surfing wave, has been removed by the fire brigade. The wave had disappeared in October during riverbed cleaning. Photo / Mark Ralston, AFP

A row over the disappearance of a famous river surfing wave in Munich escalated today as authorities removed a beam inserted over Christmas to recreate the attraction.

The Eisbach wave on a side branch of the Isar River had been a landmark in the Bavarian city since the 1980s but it vanished in October after annual clean-up work along the riverbed.

Activists had placed a beam in the water early on December 25 to partially recreate the wave, according to German media reports, and hung a banner above the water that read “Merry Christmas”.

A spokesman for the Munich fire service told AFP the “installation was removed” at the request of city authorities.

Activists have made several attempts to reinstate the wave in the city’s Englischer Garten park since October - only to see them reversed.

The local surfers’ association IGSM last week posted a statement on its website saying it had abandoned its campaign to save the wave, accusing city authorities of dragging their feet.

The Eisbach wave was considered the largest and most consistent river wave in the heart of a major city and had become a tourist attraction in Bavaria’s state capital.

Franz Fasel, head of the IGSM, told AFP in July that 3000 to 5000 local surfers were using it.

Access to the wave was cut off for several months earlier this year after the death of a 33-year-old Munich woman who became trapped under the surface while surfing at night.

-Agence France-Presse