DETROIT – Seems like the whole world wanted to see how things would go on Belle Isle Friday morning.
Media from all over were in town for the second re-opening of the Giant Slide, which has been tweaked to smooth out the bumpy rides seen in many viral videos.
“It’s exciting,” said Risse Dion. “I remember this 40 years ago.”
Dion’s video of the now infamous Giant Slide has more than seven million views and counting.
“I had no idea it would take off this, you know,” Dion said.
After closing last weekend due to speed concerns, the Giant Slide on Belle Isle re-opened Friday (Aug. 26) morning.
“It’s bringing people to Detroit,” Dion said. “My mom and aunts would bring me here (as a kid). We would go down (the slide) three deep.”
The slide first opened in 1967 and has been a popular summer attraction for decades.
Priya Mann: “What was that like for you?
“I haven’t been on (the Giant Slide) for 40 years,” said one man.
Priya: You went airborne.
Gentleman: “I went airborne? You got that on tv?
For many, it was a slide down memory lane.
“I used to do this standing up on it,” said another gentleman. “It was yellow, and it still has the five humps.”
Read: Belle Isle’s Giant Slide re-opened in Detroit
The ride down the Giant Slide was a bit bumpy for one grandmother and grandson.
“This was his first time riding, and they did instruct him at the top to hold the bag and lean forward, and I think he let go,” said the grandmother. “And when he let go, that’s when I realized that he fell, and I grabbed his head, but he’s doing ok.”
The duo wanted to give it another try, but in the end, he decided to watch others earn some bragging rights.
“As a kid, I used to be here all the time,” the grandmother said. “But back in the day, people were flying off the mats. Now it’s a lot better.”
The hours of operation will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday-Sunday through Labor Day.