A giant slide in a Detroit park has gone viral for the wrong reasons, with hilarious/horrifying videos showing out-of-control riders flying off its bumps.
The slide at Belle Isle Park, which has been closed since 2019, reopened on Friday — and immediately the problem became obvious. Although no reports of serious injury were made public, riders were experiencing hard landings, especially as they reached peak speed on the last of the slide’s five drops.
The slide was shut down within hours so park employees could wash it down and rewax it to try to slow the speed. Over the weekend, the wild rides continued, and the slide is currently being resurfaced yet again.
Meanwhile, the videos are making the rounds on social media, the “death slide” was the butt of a joke on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and “I Survived the Giant Slide” T-shirts are selling out at $25 a pop.
Belle Isle Park, now run by Michigan’s state parks system, has featured a giant slide at that site since 1967. The current model, 40 feet tall, was installed in the 1980s.
Riders must be 48 inches tall, and they are given a burlap sack to protect skin from friction. A starter at the top gives the nod for riders in the six lanes, and generally three descend at one time.
While some people said they gave up their $1 tickets after seeing riders flying like rag dolls, others are embracing the adventure as part of their Motor City heritage. “Detroit kids are just made different,” one video was labeled.
The giant slide at Belle Isle Park in Michigan was open for only 4 hours before workers shut it down to make adjustments.
I wonder why they decided to do such a thing 😳 pic.twitter.com/q7jpFdLdAO
— Art (@artcombatpod) August 19, 2022
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