Water has always played an important role in Augsburg. 530 small and large bridges lead over small streams and large rivers in the Swabian metropolis, at least according to the German Unesco Commission. 22 fountains, hydraulic structures and canals are part of the Augsburg World Heritage water management system, including the canoe route on the ice canal, built for the 1972 Olympic Games and still a model for artificial white water routes worldwide today. So it’s amazing that Augsburg has allowed itself to be drained from the Eisbach stream in Munich while surfing to this day. But that should finally be the end of it: with a surfing wave on the Senkelbach.
Artificial waves are now being planned or are in operation in many cities across Germany. In addition to the Munich model, which has long been a tourist destination and is featured in many travel guides, Nuremberg also opened up such a surfing wave last year. It goes without saying that Prime Minister Markus Söder wanted to be in the photo at the time of the opening. At the start of construction in Augsburg on Monday, there were also more politicians than could fit on a surfboard. Among them, in addition to local elected representatives, are Fabian Mering, parliamentary director of the Free Voters in the state parliament, who claims to have raised the decisive funds, and CSU sports minister Joachim Herrmann. It’s a state election campaign, so it can’t hurt to score points with the younger audience. Especially since “a surfing wave has apparently become a big city criterion in Bavaria,” as Herrmann jokes.
In the future, athletes will be able to have fun with a surfboard, bodyboard, wakeboard or kayak on a width of eight meters – with a few special features. The Surffreunde Augsburg have planned impact protection and other structural assistance for beginners. They announce that even athletes who have never held a surfboard in their hands can ride their first wave within ten minutes. Especially since supervisors should be there at all times. And the construction allows a wave to be generated according to the level of difficulty: for professionals, for advanced surfers, for learners, depending on who is on the water at the time. Out of consideration for local residents, the wave can also be flattened out at rest times so that it becomes unsurfable.
All of this was developed by students on the bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, together with their professor Sergej Rempel and an engineering office. For this purpose, the prospective civil engineers narrowed an existing ground sill in the Senkelbach, the artificial ramp is made of carbon recycling concrete. According to the university, it is rust-free and six times more stable than steel. In addition, the component can be curved and shaped more easily during production, which is hardly possible with conventional steel reinforcement. The ramp consists of building rubble and conserves resources. “The project shows that the combination of carbon reinforcement and recycled concrete we use works. This is trend-setting for the construction world,” says Rempel.
Crowdfunding is intended to provide financial security for the second construction phase
The Senkelbach is currently drained for cleaning, a short construction window for the Surffreunde Augsburg association, which is supporting the project. The club now has more than 400 members, and membership should be a prerequisite for surfing the new wave. The spectacle is also financed from the contributions, in addition to 180,000 euros from the state and 90,000 euros from the city of Augsburg. Although those responsible have just started a crowdfunding campaign for a second construction phase, which involves the implementation of the safety concept, the wave mechanics and a recreation platform.
Surfing fans can only have all of these measures built once the Senkelbach is filled again and the financing is in place. The association needs 80,000 euros. It is therefore still uncertain whether it will be possible to surf this year. For Augsburg, a quick start would also be an opportunity, according to Fabian Mehring, to polish up the unwieldy topic of world heritage. Hardly anyone can imagine what “water management system” means, the title won in 2019 attracts fewer tourists than hoped.
A surfing wave, says Mehring, could make the world heritage site “more suitable for hearts and young people”. Whereby Mayor Eva Weber said at the opening that she also knows people in the over 60 generation who are longingly waiting for the wave – to finally be able to surf in the middle of the city, opposite the Plärrer festival area.