After riders bounce down the newly reopened Belle Isle slide, it shuts

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the surface of the slide will be polished with wax to slow down riders.

"We're cleaning everything up this tonight, and we'll be back open at 11 a.m. tomorrow," said Joel Thomas, Belle Isle superintendent for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

According to DNR parks and recreation ranger Todd Schultz, the slide was open during the day and there were no injuries. They occasionally damp the slide's surface to slow riders down.

On Friday, almost 400 people rode down the slide.

"People were just having a good time today, and it was really enjoyable to witness," Thomas added.

"Oh my God, I want to go down so bad," Kasey Chapple, 9, of Warren, thought as she was trapped on the slide on Friday.

She fell and then: "Boom! "Bounce, bounce, bounce."

Kasey said she'd go down again, but not on Friday. Perhaps the next day.

Donovan Harrison, 12, of Roseville, found the slide "scary." The wind made it "extremely unsteady," which startled Harrison, who is terrified of heights.

"It was fantastic, but I nearly flew off the thing," he said.

Max Maybee, of Pleasant Ridge, is 11 years old. "I got a boatload of air time on one of the intermediate leaps," he remarked.

"I felt like I was flying through the slide and crashing like a maniac."

Max was there with his mother, Nikki Maybee, on Friday, and she described the slide as "one of the coolest things to do" as a youngster.

"It was terrifying... and entertaining all at the same time, "She stated. "It's fantastic to see the slide reopened for another generation to enjoy. It's fantastic. What a lovely day we've had here on Belle Isle."

During the epidemic, the slip was blocked in 2020 and 2021.

"Now that some things for the public are reopened and we have all the approval... we decided to go ahead and run it," Thomas explained. "Our intention is to keep it running until Labor Day weekend and maybe every year after that."

The six-lane slide will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Labor Day.

The fee each slide is $1.

It was debuted in 1967, with 1,400 sliders sold during the first two weekends.

According to Belle Isle organizers, this is a collaboration with the park's Summer Youth Employment Program to introduce youth to parks and natural habitats through its work cohort, with the intention that participants may choose natural-resource-based occupations in the future.