It’s not exactly very often that a water slide causes so much controversy. I mean, usually if a video of one is going viral it’s because it’s got some absolute mad drops and twists and looks cool to ride.
But as you’ll probably know already by now, this slide at Austria's Area 47 adventure park has sparked a whole load of conversation due to its ‘no women’ warning sign.
It comes after a world champion diver decided to ignore it and film herself going down anyway.
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And as Area 47 told LADbible, it’s certainly not for ‘sexist’ reasons but very much for a medical reason. Yep, no Yorkie-esque ridiculous macho branding here, purely health and safety.
Rhiannan Iffland went viral when she went down the rapid, vertical drop slide down at the water park filled with ‘extreme’ attractions.
Her video even shows the important sign, reading: “Due to high risk of injury, women are not allowed to use this slide!”
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Tipped as Europe’s ‘fastest water slide’ with speeds of 80km/h, it runs the medical risk of women getting some truly horrific injuries from it.
In recent years, there have been plenty of stomach-churning reports of women having their insides ‘ripped apart’ by high-speed water slides.
I bet you’re already visualising that aren’t you? Scary, right?
This is because women can sustain severe injuries if high pressured water rushes into their body, according to the National Library of Medicine in the US.
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Plus, there is also the risk of infections due to the foreign bodies found in the water.
Area 47 told LADbible that when the water park was build in the noughties, it ‘did not intend to create a men-only attraction’.
"Initially, this particular slide was open to both women and men,” a spokesperson explained. “However, in the second year, we noticed a significant increase in accidents on this slide, which required us to take action.”
After consulting with doctors, authorities and the slide’s manufacturer, the water park was presented with a ‘difficult decision’: “Either disassemble the water slide or restrict its use to men only, as it stands now.”
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The spokesperson continued: “Our highest priority is ensuring the safety and happiness of all our guests, regardless of gender.
“The risks for women using this slide were tragically highlighted a few years ago when a woman was severely injured on a similar slide in the Canary Islands.”
After going viral with her ‘YOLO’ video, Iffland told news.com.au: “It was never my intent to mock the safety regulations of this water slide. A person’s safety is paramount and I am constantly weighing up any danger with my job.
"To suggest otherwise, is wrong.”
Topics: Health, Theme Park
Jess Battison