(Photo: Metro Centric)
Munich, a city in southern Germany, is a few hundred miles from the sea. But it’s a great place to go surfing. That’s because a fast-moving river offers ideal conditions for wave riding. The Eisbach, a 2-km channel of the Isar River, has been used by surfers since the 1970s. It’s been legal since only 2010, so the local surfers had to be discreet. They also have to use boards that are optimal for river surfing. A 2013 report from the BBC explained:
Jon Ruppersberg, who repairs boards at the Santo Loco surf shop in central Munich, said river surfing requires a different type of board. “A long board is usually perfect for beginners, but because the river is so narrow, you have to start the next turn as soon as you finish the last.” Consequently, many of the boards on sale at Santo Loco are specially made by a manufacturer in Salzburg, Austria, designed to be short, relatively broad and durable. Some also have Kevlar edges to prevent damage from regularly crashing against the Eisbach’s stonewall banks.
-via Messy Nessy Chic