Watch: Weird Waves // The Eisbach, Germany

Craig Brokensha (Craig)
Swellnet Dispatch

The latest episode of Weird Waves ventures back to the birth place of river surfing - Munich, Germany. With Tanner Gudauskas in tow the two get a surfing history lesson from the locals of the Eisbach River. It's more than just waiting in line to jump in, and they even augment the flow to even out the wave.

Comments

thermalben Tuesday, 5 Feb 2019 at 04:34 pm new

Standing river waves like this ordinarily bore me to tears but the bloke at 4:30 is ripping! Looks like so much fun if you could get into a groove like that.

freeride76 Tuesday, 5 Feb 2019 at 05:23 pm new

I didn't make it past 30 seconds.

edit: went back in for a second look. I thought it was the Poms that had bad teeth.

mr mick Tuesday, 5 Feb 2019 at 05:40 pm new

Bit harsh you fellas. I've found them all interesting, maybe look beyond just the wave, look at the fun, the scenery of the places etc. I've looked at plenty surf vids of so called hot/pro surfers in the ocean doing the same old thing that are more boring!

gasman Tuesday, 5 Feb 2019 at 05:48 pm new

100% on board with that comment.

epictard Tuesday, 5 Feb 2019 at 06:50 pm new

Agreed, how fast was that late flip at the end?! Pity the slower smoother one earlier was not landed.

cswells Wednesday, 6 Feb 2019 at 01:01 pm new

Second this. It's interesting to see how different people utilise different conditions to get the same feeling as ocean surfing. I love this series.

dinnerdish Wednesday, 6 Feb 2019 at 10:33 pm new

i'm with you mr...great clip fun as ..with surprising maneuvers

Kellya Tuesday, 5 Feb 2019 at 05:40 pm new

Those beers at the end are making me thirsty

freeride76 Tuesday, 5 Feb 2019 at 05:48 pm new

is it unacceptable to say I was pining for some buxom German lasses to be serving the beers?

blackers Tuesday, 5 Feb 2019 at 07:56 pm new

Perhaps you should search out the footage of a certain AFL player in Munich that has just surfaced.

lost Tuesday, 5 Feb 2019 at 10:11 pm new

Anyone seen the SUP footage in a flowrider type wave pool going around ? These are crazy times........’

bryonsurfer Wednesday, 6 Feb 2019 at 10:44 am new

This weird wave series isn't breaking new ground, just applying a standardised format to multiple weird waves most of us has seen before. That's not a criticism, because it works bloody well in a weird way

Gary G Wednesday, 6 Feb 2019 at 10:54 am new

Gary has always had a bit of a kink for the weird and wonderful, and has found this series to be inspired, refreshing, and quirky content.

Gets much closer to the heart of what it means to be a facey-rider than any content the WSL have put out.

gray Wednesday, 6 Feb 2019 at 12:50 pm new

Really enjoyed this video, had a really good vibe and well filmed etc.
Love the idea of surfing under lights, closest I ever got to it is the full moon though...

OHV500 Wednesday, 6 Feb 2019 at 04:40 pm new

Surfed this in 87 with a few boogers - was fun. Bloody cold.
5'10" Strapper - dinged the crap out of it - lucky it was on the way back from a Euro trip.

spencie Wednesday, 6 Feb 2019 at 07:13 pm new

Enjoying the series. They don't take it too seriously and some good surfing to boot. It might not be in the ocean but theses guys are talented.

Billyw Wednesday, 6 Feb 2019 at 09:54 pm new

I have really enjoyed this series even though its nothing new, but this one was a bit boring I thought, maybe because we have seen soooooo much of this particular river wave over the years

Spuddups Sunday, 10 Feb 2019 at 07:32 am new

A few of those guys are ripping. Good smooth style. I would be intrigued to see them surf in the ocean. I'm guessing that duckdiving, paddling, taking off and wave selection would be an issue for them if they'd never surfed in the ocean before. I reckon this would be a great follow up for this vid. Send them to Hossegor and see how they go.

Island Bay Sunday, 10 Feb 2019 at 10:14 am new

A lot of Munich surfers go to Varazze in Liguria, Italy. Which, btw, is a bloody good man-made wave. Short'ish drive for them.

A few of the chaps in the video were impressive: The Tao dude is super technical and gets incredible height on his airs. Older pale fellah (Quirin Rohleder, I think?) was so smooth, and how about captain trauma surgeon and his blitz speed kickflips!

Enjoyed it.

truebluebasher Sunday, 10 Feb 2019 at 11:35 am new

Thanx for mystery surf safari swellnet.

It does remind me of (Must see "Abandoned" Skate Series).
https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/abandoned

In this episode it's worth noting pioneer 1929 Munich WavePool brewhaus

+ 1930 Nordseebad Indoor Wave Pool has never looked better.
Germans were at forefront of wave & surf car designs- Combi/Beetle

This article recalls 1965-70's crew running from cops....later-(1999) Cops gave up!
https://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-germany-winter-surfers-20181…-
story.html

Apparently into 80's surfers still towed from bridge to keep speed then disengaged.
Here's the last of some old school tow-in skim surfers of the 1980's
https://www.eisbachwelle.de/eisbach-munich-river-surfing-foto-video-gall…

Ode to Ye olde Pioneer river surfing...Now that's a trad take off!

There are also plenty of shots of Trad costume surfers...easy to source.

This one Details other Munich waves + Links to News/facebook sign in Groups
Great photo of drained river bed hidden nasties...Well worth a look
https://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/topic/73618-river-surfing-in-munic…

Stationary Waves in Rivers (science)
https://iahr.org//PDF/Journals/Hydrolink/2018%20issue2%20free%20access/…

Riverbreak Mag.(Mostly Euro/North America)
https://riverbreak.com/