World's longest inflatable water slide comes to the U.S.
The longest inflatable water slide ever constructed has made its way from New Zealand to New Jersey, measuring a ridiculous 1,975 feet long.
New Zealander Jimi Hunt, founder of anti-depression organization Live More Awesome, first got the idea to create an epic water slide as a fundraiser event in his home country to raise awareness about mental health issues, according to the New Jersey Herald.
With no prior experience in building water slides, Hunt used 10,000 feet of the same PVC plastic used in inflatable bounce houses, consisting of 20 100-foot-long sections, each weighing 600 pounds. The total cost was about $100,000 according to the New Jersey Herald, funded by a crowdsourcing website he had built.
Two generators and 15 blowers inflate the slide, which uses 1,000 gallons of water per hour to propel riders an average of 35 miles per hour. The ride lasts about 60 to 90 seconds.
Hunt was being featured on a Travel Channel show about the manufacture of the slide, when one of the show's producers contacted Action Park President Bill Benneyan to show him the footage.
"I watched the videos and said, 'I want that here,'" said Benneyan.
Named simply "World's Longest Inflatable Water Slide," Hunt's visionary water slide found its home at Action Park in Vernon, N.J.
The slide is laid along on the ski trails of Mountain Creek Resort at the amusement park. Action Park is known for its extreme water slides, including the world's tallest and only double-looping drop box water slide, called Zero G.
"This water slide screams 'Action Park' and we knew our resort would be the perfect home for it," said Bill Benneyan, according to ABC News. "What's more wild and crazy than flying nearly half a mile down a ski mountain on the world's longest water slide?"
The Guinness Book of World Records confirmed the new slide as the longest inflatable water slide on July 10.
The slide is currently not open to the public, as the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs has yet to approve the slide as a ride for the park. Benneyan said the approval process, which he said takes six months, would not be completed before the end of this summer.
