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The Australian Open in January may have focused on world-class tennis, but the event also hosted concerts and areas with games and activities, play zones, DJs, food and retail. Part of the “Fan Fun Centre” was a 1,750-kilogram (3,858-pound) gigantic inflatable waterslide installed by, naturally, Giant Inflatables of Melbourne.
The engineered structure was made of three separate inflatables. It had four lanes, two longer and higher than the others, and two built-in “staircases” leading up to the different lanes. The whole slide stood 10 meters high, spanned 24 meters wide and was 12 meters deep (33 by 39 by 79 feet). The small lanes were about 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) high. Six fans powered the structure. Sheet covers went over every inflatable as well as the entire slide to guard against leaking.
Twelve people could be on the waterslide at once: four sliding and others on the steps.
The largest challenge was keeping the water running for a smooth ride. The smaller lanes were able to use a submersible pump in a reservoir at the end, but the taller lanes required municipal water.
The company had three weeks to construct the slide and set it up, which took approximately eight hours. Every night for the three and a half weeks of the Australian Open, the waterslide had to be deflated, but it took only about 15–20 minutes to inflate each morning.
Project: Giant inflatable waterslide
Location: Melbourne, Australia, Australian Open Tennis Tournament
Engineer: James Marr, TENSYS Engineers
Design, Architect and Project Manager: Mikael Abramowitch, Giant Inflatables
Fabrication and Installation: Giant Inflatables
Graphics: Giant Inflatables and TEG
Staff and on-site management: Proactivity
Fabrics: 0.5- and 0.4-millimeter PVC tarpaulin
Images: Giant Inflatables