A glass slide fixed 1,000ft (305m) along the outside of a skyscraper in Los Angeles opens to the public on Saturday.
The Skyslide spans 45 ft from the 70th to the 69th floor of the US Bank Tower in the city.
Despite being made of glass just one inch thick, it is built to withstand hurricane-force winds and earthquakes.
Tickets cost $25 (£18) each. It is part of the Skyspace renovation that also includes an observation deck.
Some visitors got a preview earlier in the week.
"I thought it was nerve-wracking and exciting and daring," said Keri Freeman.
"I went a lot faster than I thought I would," said Rebecca Fitzgerald.
"And you kind of like hit the side as you're coming around the curve, so you're really pressed up against the glass, so you see the whole world below you, but it's not really that scary."
If there’s one thing London enjoys, it’s a good slide.
With this in mind, Sir Anish Kapoor’s ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture has been wound by artist Carsten Höller with a 178m tube open to the public.
Claiming to be the world’s highest and longest tunnel slide, it will see riders circle around the tower 12 times "as they weave their way through the famous loops and curves of the iconic structure, including a tight corkscrew section names the ‘bettfeder’ – after the German word for ‘bedspring’ – and end with a 50m straight run back down to earth," reaching speeds of up to 24kmph in the process.
The ride will open on 24 June for people at least 1.3m tall and weighing under 23.7 stone. Children must be at least three years old.
Access to the sculpture is £12, with the slide costing a further £5 - tickets are available here.
The Slide cost £3.5m to build, but the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) is hoping to recover the money spent on it in five years.
Re: These look fun!
Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2016 2:21 am
by Lord Jim
Geesus, at least the second one is enclosed...(though I expect that by the time I got to the bottom I'd be unconscious and covered in vomit...)
Unless I'm missing something, the one at the top doesn't even have a guard rail....
Oh wait, here's another picture:
I completely misinterpreted the first picture...
I thought what apparently is the top of the thing was a second picture, showing what it looks like in a high wind...
These Look Fun!
Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2016 3:29 am
by RayThom
The Skyslide:
Despite being made of glass just one inch thick, it is built to withstand hurricane-force winds and earthquakes.
Or so 'they' say.
Re: These look fun!
Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2016 7:25 am
by Bicycle Bill
Somehow, the adrenaline junkie in me would rather ride the coaster in London as opposed to what is basically a ten-foot (one story) slide stuck on the side of a building in LA, no matter how high off the ground it starts. -"BB"-
Shoot, I'd ride a glass slide down one story on a round building twice daily, maybe even three times, for that kind of salary.
Re: These look fun!
Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 3:52 pm
by rubato
If you changed the venting or air supply of the London slide I bet you could increase-decrease the terminal velocity (as well as by sitting up versus lying down).
When the TGV goes through a tunnel it creates a wave of higher air pressure which causes your ears to pop and decelerates the train (unless you add power).
