![]() As a possible result, Kransco experienced two major lawsuits that would elevate the Slip ‘N Slide to the level of a public nuisance. ![]() But it was not a superficially dangerous-looking plaything, and adults either failed to take the warning seriously or simply discarded the box and instructions without paying any attention to them. The Slip ‘N Slide had always carried warnings that it was for use by children 10 or 11 years of age and younger. It wasn’t brought back to store shelves until Wham-O was purchased by the Kransco company in 1982. Though these instances were rare, Wham-O was apparently concerned to the point they opted to take it off the market in the late 1970s. This could be devastating for the spinal cord and it was possible to suffer quadriplegia, paraplegia, or even death as a result of the impact.īetween 19, it's estimated that a total of seven adults and one 13-year-old suffered neck injuries or paralysis as a direct result of using the Slip ‘N Slide. ![]() Sometimes their weight meant they would abruptly stop, the forward momentum driving the weight of their body directly onto their necks. When adults jumped on the surface, they were not always jettisoned across. But the Slip ‘N Slide had been engineered for children of limited height and weight, typically under 125 pounds. Initially, this wasn’t seen as a big deal plenty of parents play with their kids' toys. ![]() The same year the Slip ‘N Slide was introduced, Wham-O officials observed an interesting phenomenon: The more fun kids had, the more compelled adults felt to try it. Some kids even added dish soap to the water provided by their garden hose for additional propulsion. The surface had a lubricant molded directly into the plastic that acted as a propellant, so that kids sprinting to the top of the slide would take off like human projectiles. Kids were instructed to unwind the material across an area free of rocks or debris and then stake it into the ground. The 30-foot-long, 40-inch-wide Slip ‘N Slide went on sale in 1961 and was an immediate hit, selling 300,000 units priced at $9.95 in a matter of months. They agreed to manufacture and market the Slip ‘N Slide with one adjustment: The expensive Naugahyde material would have to be replaced with plastic. Wham-O was also inventor-friendly and open to outside submissions. The application referred to it as a “portable aquatic play device for body planing.” He called it the Slip ‘N Slide-though he probably should have named it the Slip ‘N Sue.Ĭarrier and his business partner, Richard Eriser, took his idea to the Wham-O company, a brand devoted to celebrating off-kilter toys like the Hula Hoop and Frisbee. When Carrier saw neighborhood kids racing over and traffic on his street getting backed up, he decided to patent his invention. The result was a backyard lane devoted to slipping and sliding. When the hose was fed through the curl, water seeped through the holes and kept the surface wet. Carrier curled the material over on one side and stitched it in intervals. So he brought home a 50-foot roll of Naugahyde, a fabric coated in vinyl, which he unspooled on his property. It was at this point that Robert Carrier decided that if his son was going to insist on sliding, he might as well try to make it as safe as possible.Ĭarrier was an upholsterer who happened to work for a company that produced boat seats and had access to a variety of materials. The fun and games continued until Mike ended up crashing through a gate and breaking it. When the Carriers moved to a new home-which had a back patio painted with the same slick coating-Mike and his friends brought their garden hose antics with them. “You guys are going to kill yourselves doing this,” Carrier said. Mike and his friends had spent the afternoon turning on the garden hose, getting a running start from the garage-which was carpeted-and then belly-flopping onto the concrete, sliding all the way to the curb. The property had a painted concrete driveway, and when it got wet, its surface became slick. When he got closer, he noticed his son was laughing. One day in the summer of 1960, Robert Carrier arrived at his home in Lakewood, California, and saw his 10-year-old son Mike laying in front of the garage.
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