Thousands flock to Perth street to leap down 315 metre long waterslide

Thousands of people are expected to strip down to their shorts and swimming costumes, leap onto a blow up ring and slide through Perth’s Central Business District on Sunday after a giant waterslide was set up in the street following overwhelming public demand.

The slide, which stretches 315 metres, had people queuing for around an hour to have the chance to slide through the Australian city in the baking sunshine from the early hours of Sunday morning, and over 11,000 people are expected to take the plunge over the course of the day.

Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi told ABC news that the city had sponsored the event after requests flooded in from people to bring the slide to the city.

“For about the past year or so I have had so any requests on social media for this to be brought to our city.

“We decided to commit to it because for us the expenditure is worth it, it’s brought all these people into the city today.”

The slide reportedly experienced a few glitches at the start of the day, with people complaining on social media about the length of the queue and the water not propelling people far enough, but it didn’t stop people flocking to the event to have a go for themselves.

The pop-up attraction, dubbed Slidestreet, is the first of its kind to appear in Australia, and mirrors the 90 metre waterslide set up in the UK in Park Street, Bristol, earlier this year.