Overview
- The Munich fire brigade, accompanied by police, dismantled the wooden installations on December 28 under a city order, returning the Eisbach to its pre-intervention state without a wave.
- Authorities said the devices were illegal and potentially dangerous under an existing general order, pointing to stricter safety posture after an April surfing fatality and warning of fines up to €50,000 for offenders.
- The wave has been missing since October following routine cleaning that removed sediment and debris, with experts and the city acknowledging the exact hydraulic cause remains unclear.
- Surfer organizations abandoned a city-aligned, scientifically supervised ramp plan, arguing the required liability, cost coverage, round-the-clock readiness, and engineering-level proofs made approval effectively unattainable.
- After condemning the removal, surf groups now seek a negotiated, less restrictive, officially sanctioned trial as Deputy Mayor Verena Dietl signals swift talks, keeping the dispute in the political spotlight before local elections.