River Surfing the Eisbach in Munich | Made in Europe

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 installment 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”.