Urbansurf

In Frau Gerolds Garten, people order sausages and beer; at Im Viadukt, they browse the shops. The night life slumbers. Even so, I turn off into a side street by the Supermarket club. Walking to the end, I find myself standing in front of an enormous block made of wood. I can hear laughter and splashing water.

I climb the steps and see a large pool. The water swells up into a wave, with several surfers riding it. In the background, trains rattle by; buses and trams go over Hardbrücke.

Spectators have gathered on the seats around the pool, drinking, eating snacks and cheering on the surfers. Among them sits Patrick Eichler. He is the managing director of Urbansurf and the person who brought the artificial wave – the Citywave – to Hardbrücke.

The first time he stood on a surfboard, Patrick was still a little boy. As a young man, he then travelled to places like Bali and La Palma in search of the perfect wave. ‘But I’m not actually your typical surfer,’ he says; after all, he also enjoys other kinds of water sports. Nevertheless, he finds surfing completely engrossing. ‘Also because of the community: surfers stick together.’ This is why, a few years ago, Patrick got together with a bunch of like-minded people and started an interest group. Its aim? To establish a permanent indoor surfing facility.

The group almost managed it – they’d already found a site, but then things came to a halt due to a lack of money and time. ‘We eventually came up with the idea of taking the artificial wave on tour around Switzerland,’ says Patrick. Two investors – one of them his father – founded The Wave Factory, brought the equipment to Switzerland, and put Patrick in charge as manager. In 2015 and 2016, the Citywave was set up and dismantled in various cities. ‘But in the end, it just became too much effort.’ Patrick started looking for a permanent site.

In the summer of 2017, the Citywave stood on the plot between Bogen F and Frau Gerolds Garten for four months. That has been its permanent location ever since. The Urbansurf platform and with it the Citywave have permission to stay here until 2020. ‘Not even the owner of the plot knows what’s happening after that,’ Patrick explains.

Patrick sees surfing as a major trend, even if only a few people actually get up on a board: ‘A lot of people identify with the lifestyle.’ According to Patrick, this chimes with the current moment – it is urban, fresh and sporty. ‘At the same time, surfing has got that wild and rebellious edge to it, just like the natural world and the ocean,’ says Patrick. ‘It’s definitely a cool thing to do.’ The range on offer in the bar and restaurant is also designed to appeal to the urban-sporty crowd: the menu includes poke bowls and sweet potato fritters, for example.

Patrick says the standard of Swiss surfers has risen as a result of the Citywave, as there’s nowhere else in the country where you can surf constantly. ‘Some people tell us that they prefer coming here over going on expensive surfing holidays,’ says Patrick.

Anyone who wants to surf on the Citywave can book a session in advance, whether they’re a beginner or an expert. In each session, two places are reserved for spontaneous surfers. Surfboards and wetsuits are provided. ‘The only thing you need to bring is a towel and your trunks or bikini,’ he adds. The wave can also be reserved by groups. ‘That’s pretty popular.’