GEORGE TOWN: Thrill seekers will be in for an adrenaline-pumping experience when the world’s longest tube water slide in Escape Theme Park in Teluk Bahang opens next month.
The 1,111m-long attraction made it to the Guinness World Records (GWR), beating the previous record length by over three times.
It will be a treat for the adventurous to slide down from the forested land located 70m from the ground, or the height of a 23-storey building, before ending with a splash at the park’s swimming pool some 600m away.
In all, the trip through 20 turns and five loops will take four-and-a-half minutes to complete at an average speed of 15kph.
There will be a ski lift to transport customers from the foot of the hill to the top.
The park’s chief escape officer Sim Choo Kheng said making it into the record book was never in the plan.
“I looked up the hill across and wanted to create a ride down – a water slide for visitors to ride through the forest.
“There was no intention to break any record, and we were not aware of past records, ” he said yesterday.
Sim said the accomplishment did not come easy, as planning for the RM5mil project took over a year while the physical installation took eight months.
“To avoid damaging the rainforest, the slide was installed manually with basic machinery and hoisted by cables.
“It consists of 488 sections and 326 side guards, secured by 10,248 pieces of bolts, nuts and washers.
“A total of 66 tonnes of steel pipes and sections were used to support the slide, ” he said.
Last year, the park received 185,000 visitors and Sim said with the new addition under a RM12mil park expansion, it is expected to bring in 15% more visitors.
The expansion also includes the Hill Rider and Tubby Racer attractions.
GWR adjudicator Pete Fairbairn, who presented the certificate to Sim, said the previous records were set in Germany (356m) and Japan (266m).
“This is a remarkable record, beating the past record by over three times. Children and adults are excited to ride the longest tube slide the world has ever seen, ” he said.
