Wisely donning two layers of trunks, Wollongong’s 66-year-old Lord Mayor has christened a giant waterslide that has taken up residence in the city for the summer.
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“It was over before I knew, but it was excellent,” reported Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery, after pulling up at end of the slide, The Big Wedgie.
“The sensation is just wild.
“I wore appropriate clothing so that I didn’t end up in two. Put it like this; I’m not wearing a g-string.”
The slide, one of four brought to Lang Park by Adelaide waterpark owner Peter Rimington, is intended to enliven the city throughout its stay, which continues until February 11.
“This is an incredible location for such an activity,” Cr Bradbery said.
“It will bring people into the city. It’s also about what the people of Wollongong want and it introduces us to the idea that water activities and water parks and those sorts of themes are where we’re going with our pool strategy as well. So it’s more or less saying, here’s the entre – let’s take it even further.”
The ride, measuring 12.9 metres(the advertised 18.2-metre height includes its surrounds, such as the platform and sign on top) is listed in the Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest freestanding, inflatable slide.
It took the title on 27 November, 2015, ending a difficult labour of love for designer, builder and creator, Mr Rimington.
“I thought, let’s build a tall waterslide – let’s build the tallest in the world. I could see there was a gap in the market, but I worked out it wasn’t quite a easy as that. The first one didn’t work - it wouldn’t inflate and hold properly. The second one didn’t even work. I had to do a different style to get it to work, while I studied over the next year how to actually do it.”
“We came up with a whole lot of tricky techniques to make it the amazing thing it is.”
“It’s passion and enthusiasm.”
Cramming in unlimited rides for an hour, for an entry price of $35, Towradgi nine-year-old Regan Campbell confirmed the ride was a stomach-dropper.
“On your first two goes it is [scary],” he said, preparing for his sixth slide. “You just get this weird feeling ... But once you hit the bottom you just think it’s really fun. Then you do it again.”
Eighteen-year-old friends Luke Gale and Sam McCann, of Corrimal and Wollongong, helped to set up the ride before taking a trial run Saturday morning, reporting it provided a pleasing thrill for bigger kids and a welcome addition to the city.
“It brings the community a bit closer – everyone gets around the one spot,” said Mr McCann. “And it’s something different.”