Closing streets to cars is one thing — how about flooding them with water and letting people slide down head first? Hundreds of Brits got to do just that when a busy street in Bristol was transformed into a fully operational water slide today. As expected, the photos are absolutely incredible.
The slide was the idea of artist Luke Jerram as part of the city’s Make Sunday Special initiative, which opens up Bristol streets to car-free events on the first Sunday of every month. Jerram crowdfunded the project, which was amazingly approved by health and safety officials after a trial run last year, and plans to release a detailed toolkit on how cities can build their own “urban slides.”
The fun kicked off Sunday morning as hundreds of people lined the course to cheer on the lucky sliders. Out of 95,000 applicants, 360 riders were chosen by lottery to slide down the middle of gently sloping Park Street.
The setup behind the slide was surprisingly simple, with Jerram using only plastic sheets and hay bales to construct the slide. Riders slid down on pool rafts for cushioning, and, to add a little extra slip, the water was mixed with dishwashing liquid. I’m not sure about the mouthful of soap at the end, but the rest of it looks absolutely lovely. [The Guardian]
Photos by Matt Cardy/Getty Images