Hydroslide tube to be built at Q.E. II Park

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 3

Hydroslide tube to be built at Q.E. II Park

Hydrosliding. water recreation craze somewhat akin to bobsledding, is coming to. Christchurch. A looping hydroslide tube should be built on-the outside of Queen/Elizabeth II Park’s pools building in time for the summer swimming season. The Christchurch City Council’s ’ parks and recreation ’committee had high praise-yesterday for the. new activjtiy, which its members said could attract many more ./people to the Commonwealth Games sports centre.,’ The' waterslide will be a private..venture built by HydrQslideSf(N;Z.) Ltd, whose ■ Mr lan Gamble, owhet of- the Meadow Park Motor .Giahip'Tn Papanui. Mr -Gamble said the cost

of the total scheme would be about $250,000. The slides were an exciting experience that could be compared with Disneyland roller-coaster rides, he said. The fibreglass water-chute will be completely enclosed so that there is no risk of people being flung out. It will have specially built entry and exit pools. Riders go head first down the chute on polystyrene mats and reach speeds of between eight and 10 miles an hour. “But it seems much faster," said MrGamble. Starting about 10m above ground level the slide’s entry will be inside the building. The tube will then loop and twist for about 100 m before reaching the exit pool.

.- Riders are borne on recircq-*- ’ lated water. Pool patrons will be able to buy ? hydroslide tickets Tor/: between $2.50 and $3. which will let them.use the slide as’ many times as they can in 30 minutes. Mr Gamble’s slide Would be the first of its kind in i Nev-’ Zealand. He said the -■ ' craze? was sweeping the Upf, ’ ited States and six ,chutes were being built in Sydney Teen-agers were the main users of such chutes, but they were also popular family entertainment, Mr Gamble. said. The tube will have a?' diameter of 1.5 m. . '-v Three years ago, Mr Gam? > ble saw a complex of eight slides at a recreational park - in California; 5000 people a day were riding the slides.

After, talking fq, the park’s 1 6 wq.br/ ; company was formed io', build - and run Riffes in New -Zealand/? -/r' one* of; the '■ most exciting- thingsthaChas happened, or?will happen in 'Christchurch in a ,yery long time," said the committee’s chairman,--Or-Noala Massey, ' yesterday. •?'. . Rex Lester said/, it .would -be’ of the'biggest/ new tyjwyht recreatidn;/tq : ?’ hit NOw “Zealand in ree6s? times. - ' •• ” “ It could also, be ■ tion for more varied ways of/ using the big sports icompW. / ? Mrf Gqmble said at! would, •.take- about, five, weeks , to. bujld v the slide itself. IF could’; be built while the swimming, pools were closed/-for’ maintenance this winter.-'