Could Munich be your next surf trip destination?

Watch episode two of our series exploring the unique lives of surfers who call the Old World home.

By A. Lewis on 24 February 2016

For surfers, Europe has always been a destination that offers promise of something more than simply wave riding. The remnants of eras long past often stand right at the water's edge, defying the ocean's penchant for constant, radical change. Not surprising, such an environment is always inspiring unique approaches to the act and art of surfing.

Like… river surfing. For the second instalment of our Made In Europe Series, Southern California-based filmmaker Matt Payne turns his back to the ocean altogether and heads hundreds of miles inland, to a reliable little wedge in Munich, Germany. Payne catches up with local Quirin Rohleder, who got hooked on surfing as a kid, after discovering the very rippable standing wave of the Eisbach—or "ice brook".

Rohleder, who has gone on to make a career in surfing (and who is a fine surfer of real waves, too) explains the nuances of the Eisbach and how his and other local surfers' – like Toa Schirrmacher and Christian Bach – daily habit of surfing has become a part of Munich's culture.

Quirin Rohleder is a master of the Eisbach © Dieter Versti

"A lot of people love living here, and they don't make any sense of maybe moving to the ocean, so they use what they have," Quirin says. "It's not the ocean, but you have the same kind of vibe and spirit. I pretty much go surfing every day."

In case you missed it, check out Payne's visit with the legendary Tom Curren in Hossegor, France, in Episode 1 of Made In Europe.

Source: Could Munich be your next surf trip destination?