Just 1¼ inches of glass separating you from a 1,000-foot drop: 'Skyslide' officially opens - jutting out of the tallest building on the West Coast
- The fully transparent, 45-foot-long slide carries visitors from floors 70 to 69 of the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles
- The 73-floor skyscraper is the tallest building west of Mississippi
- Skyslide opens Saturday and costs $8, on top of $25 admission to the observation deck
- The $50 million renovation is part of a wider plan to reinvigorate downtown Los Angeles
- June 24th, 2016
Nearly 1,000 feet above the streets of downtown Los Angeles, a glass slide on the outside of the 70th floor of the city's tallest building is preparing to welcome the brave.
The Skyslide, on the 73-floor of the U.S. Bank Tower - the tallest building on the west coast - will open to the public on Saturday and allow thrill seekers to slide 45 feet out across the city and down to an outdoor platform on the 69th floor.
According to the building's owner, Singapore-based OUE Ltd., the glass on the fully enclosed slide is only 1 1/4 inches (3.2 cm) thick, but can withstand hurricane-force winds and even a powerful earthquake.
The slide itself takes just four seconds to complete, however riders describe it as both terrifying and exhilarating.
Wishing she took the stairs?: The Skyslide, on the 73-floor of the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles - the tallest building on the west coast - will open to the public on Saturday and allow thrill seekers to slide 45 feet out across the city
When it opens June 25, the 45-foot-long slide will carry visitors from floors 70 to 69 as they peer down through 1 ¼-inch-thick glass
A member of the media rides down the Skyslide from the 70th to 69th floor of the U.S. Bank Tower in downtown Los Angeles
Some media were invited to be the first to experience the Skyslide on Wednesday.
Riders are put into a thin gray mat and sent down the glass tube, coming out onto a soft landing on the terrace one floor below.
While Skyslide provides a unique experience for users, The Los Angeles Times reported that the U.S. Bank Tower has been struggling to find tenants for years, and this new tourist attraction might be a recoup some lost earnings.
Tickets to the observation deck cost $25 per person. It is another $8 for anyone wanting to go on the slide.
The U.S. Bank Tower was 80 percent full when it opened it 1989, however was barely half-full when OUE bought it three years ago for $367.5million.
Companies, especially in L.A., have recently been seeking out restored warehouses and historic buildings for their office spaces and have been shunning skyscrapers.
The slide and observation deck are part of a $50million makeover for the U.S. Bank Tower.
'SKYSLIDE WAS THE SCARIEST THING I'VE EVER DONE' - By reporter Amanda Lee Myers
Don't look down: A reporter prepares for the Skyslide
I've jumped out of a plane from 13,000 feet. I've ridden 400-foot-tall roller coasters that top speeds of 100 mph, and I once found myself using my fingernails to clutch the side of a rock face way too steep to climb without gear.
Heights have never fazed me. Until the Skyslide, a terrifying glass tube on the outside of the U.S. Bank Tower in downtown Los Angeles. It's open to the public Saturday, and journalists were given an early chance to try it out.
Perched 1,000 feet above the ground on the side of the tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi, the 360-degree glass slide is utterly terrifying. It's is nearly a straight shot down, except for a small turn at the beginning that causes riders to bump against the side of the glass, much to their horror.
I tried not to pay attention to the screams from other people riding the slide as I waited in what seemed like an interminable line. I tried not to think about the fact that just 1¼ inches separated me from a 1,000-foot drop.
My heart thumped as I approached the top of the slide. I could see the streets below me and the infinite city straight ahead.
As I hooked each foot into a little mat that helps riders pick up speed and avoid skidding on the glass, I felt my hands trembling. And when I scooched slowly toward the point of no return, I thought strongly about turning around.
I forged on, unable to contain a terrified squeal as I flew down. "Oh my God, Richard!" I yelled to my friend, an AP photographer at the bottom of the slide.
All I wanted was to see him again.
I shot out of the bottom and am proud to say I stuck the landing. Others have tumbled nearly head over heels.
Was it one of the scariest things I've ever done? Absolutely.
Would I do it again? I just did.
The Skyslide opens to the public for the first time on Saturday. It spans 45 feet from the 70th to the 69th floor of the U.S. Bank Tower in downtown Los Angeles.
The slide is part of a $50million renovation that includes an open-air observation desk and a bar.
Tickets to reach the deck are $25. It costs $8 more to ride the slide.
Source: AP
'The Skyslide boasts a safe, thrilling experience unlike any other in the world,' said a statement from Lucy Rumantir, head of U.S. operations for building owner OUE Limited of Singapore.
'Guests of all ages will have the opportunity to transform their view of Los Angeles as they glide down, gazing at unparalleled views of the city.'
On a clear day, the tower provides panoramic views that extend to Catalina Island 22 miles off the Pacific Coast and over the Santa Monica Mountains to the city's sprawling San Fernando Valley.
The attraction arrives in the midst of efforts to reinvigorate downtown. Recent years have seen newly fashionable apartments, a spruced-up park, new upscale hotels, The Broad museum, the LA Live entertainment district and trendy bars and restaurants.
According to the building's owner, Singapore-based OUE Ltd., the glass on the fully enclosed slide is only 1 1/4 inches (3.2 cm) thick, but can withstand hurricane-force winds and even a powerful earthquake
Skyslide also continues a trend of creating attractions designed for people who seem eager to laugh in the face of acrophobia, particularly adults.
Skyslide also continues a trend of creating attractions designed for people who seem eager to laugh in the face of acrophobia, particularly adults.
Grand Canyon Skywalk, the horseshoe-shaped bridge that opened nine years ago, allows visitors to stroll right off the edge of the canyon's north rim and stare through 2,000 feet of nothingness to the canyon floor.
The Las Vegas Strip's X-Scream roller-coaster sends riders on a wild plunge off the top of the 1,100-foot Stratosphere Hotel and Casino.
Chicago's Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) renovated its 103rd floor observation deck in 2009 to add all-glass balconies, allowing people to actually step several feet off the ledge.
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