Here’s why only women are banned from this ‘extreme’ waterslide
A video of Rhiannan Iffland using a waterslide women are banned from going down has sparked a warning.
The Australian diving champion, 32, just visited Austria’s popular Area 47 adventure park, which contains an array of “extreme” activities, including bungee jumping, canyoning and white-water rapids.
One of the park’s most popular attractions is Europe’s “fastest waterslide”, which boasts speeds of up to 80 km/h, and comes with a sign warning women against using it.
In recent years, there have been reports of women being “ripped apart” by high-speed water slides, prompting a string of parks to only allow men to use certain rides.
Studies have shown injuries caused by high pressured water entering a female body can result in horrific injuries as well as lead to infections caused by foreign bodies found in the water.
After being confronted with a sign, which showed a woman in a red circle with a line through it, Iffland appeared to take little notice of the female-only ban.
“Apparently women are not supposed to do this slide,” she wrote in text over footage of herself clambering into the top of the shoot.
The seven-time consecutive Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series champion then decided to take her chances, catapulting herself down the silver ride in a blue swimsuit from her sponsor Budgy Smugglers.
“Here for a good time not a long time! Another YOLO moment,” she captioned the clip.
“It was never my intent to mock the safety regulations of this water slide,” Iffland told news.com.au when contacted for comment.
“A person’s safety is paramount and I am constantly weighing up any danger with my job. To suggest otherwise, is wrong.”
However, her video was met with widespread concern from fans, with many explaining there was a medical reason women should be careful on fast slides.
“The amount of people that don’t understand why women aren’t supposed to go on this slide is scary,” one wrote on Instagram.
“The sign says ‘due to high risk of injury’. Why would you still go down?” another asked.
However there were some who argued the sign was “sexist”, prompting others to warn them of the health and safety risks.
Many pointed out that as well as potential gynecological issues, high-speed water slides can cause ‘enemas’ for both men and women.
“Unfortunately I got a water slide enema. Peed out half the swimming pool in the toilet from my behind. I literally couldn’t stand upright after it happened. Weirdest thing I’ve ever experienced,” one person arguably over-shared.
“OMG I had no idea it had a name. Water slide enema, this perfectly describes what happened to me,” another added.
Iffland’s fans have good reason to share their concerns.
Parents of an eight-year-old girl who reportedly lost half a liter of blood while on a waterslide at WhiteWater World water park, next to Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, launched legal action against the Australian park last year over the alleged incident.
Separately, a woman is suing Disney over a “painful wedgie” she developed while on water slide in Florida in the same year.
