The Schlitterbahn park in Kansas is home to the Verrückt, which when open will be the world’s tallest waterslide. It won’t be open for a little while, though, because it’s been reported that some testers – going at 60-70mph – have been going airborne.
The slide is 168 feet tall, and the problem seems to be the point where riders shoot out at the end of a 17-story drop, with some leaving the slide and getting some hangtime. This might sound awesome, but the slide is worryingly narrow, so the concern would be someone getting airborne then…crashing. Or crashing back on the slide, but in a position that would cause injury.
Park officials say this is all part of the testing, and that it will be OK when it’s actually released to the public.
Which is OK, cool, whatever, but where and how can I get a job testing waterslides?
UPDATE – The park has denied Inquisitr’s report, with a spokesman telling The Kansas City Star “I can absolutely say that no test riders have gone airborne on the slide, because no test riders have gone down the slide”.
Verrückt: World’s Largest Water Slide Opening Delayed After Test Riders Reportedly Go Airborne [Inquisitr, via Geekologie]
Comments
20 responses to “World’s Tallest Waterslide Delayed After Testers Go Airborne”
What a funny article.
“Testers do their job to ensure a safe ride when opened”.
More like “Testers do their job to ensure a safe ride when opened and something awesome happened.”
its not awesome when the designers didnt expect it to happen. Thus they havent catered for it and it could go horribly wrong
There’s a lot of awesome stuff that happens that was never expected in experiments and tests. Being unplanned has nothing to do with it
Holy crap, how scared would you be, not just going down that slide, but getting airborne?
It’s obvious the whole time looking at that slide, that going airborne is a real possibility. Waterslides don’t have ascending portions because of this very problem. Even having the slide go from somewhat steep to very steep can result in brief airtime, although the danger is less for similar airtime.
To prevent going airborne, the rider can’t be going too fast when they reach the apex, but any attempt to slow them down could result in slower riders not reaching the apex at all.
If your velocity increases, even on a slant like that, to a point of speed where you can get air under you etc etc etc it is actually possible. But not likely at the speeds that you can get to on those. I call BS on these claims.
My brother got enough airtime on one slide at Wet n Wild that he mentioned the pain of landing to me afterwards. He isn’t usually the type to mention his own discomfort.
This slide is faster.
Which slide?
The middle slide of Mach 5
I’d believe it. Going down the steepest one of the three slides like this one at Wet n’ Wild, I got a bit of air…That was fun
Same here
Yep, scared me shirtless. I had to do it 7 more times to see if it was an anomaly, which itnwasnt
I’ve been airborne more than once on other large slides just because they have a flat section in the middle before a 2nd drop, let alone a hump. That being said this is also a 4 person raft style slide and not a one person feet first or mat slide so it will function rather differently.
I still think levelling out is safer than a hump tho and throw on some higher sides or clear barriers just in case.
Most terrifying slide I’ve had was climbing into a four person tube/raft with the wife and kids then hanging on for dear life as it felt like I was going to vault over edge on every corner.
As for the pictured contraption – I don’t particularly have a fear of heights (I did the giant drop) but that thing scares me to even look at it!
As someone who enjoys vertigo. No. Hells no. NO!
So this isn’t even true?
I’d be more worried about the impending water enema.
That’s what they should call it “The Enema”
I got airborne going down a water slide at wet’n’wild. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. Still have tiny scars where the edges cut under my knees when I “landed” back on the slide.