“I believe I’m not speaking out of turn when I say Slip ‘N Slide is the most profitable line in Wham-O,” says Walsh. Invented by upholsterer Robert Carrier while watching his son hose down their slick concrete driveway and slide down on it, the Slip’N Slide was launched to market by Wham-O in 1961. My wife (and kids) are big fans of the classic Slip 'N Slide on a summer day. By attaching the tube to a garden hose, water would spray from tiny holes along the length of the slide, making the plastic extremely slippery. But Carrier’s son had given him an idea. Others saw beauty in Carrier’s design, too. Carrier filed a patent for the new invention in 1961, and the Slip ‘N Slide was available on store shelves later that year. By September of that year, more than 300,000 slides had been sold. Read more. It is this shared experience—the visceral response to seeing that plastic chute atop the lawn—that makes Slip ‘N Slide one of the most enduring toys of all time. As for Slip ‘N Slide’s inventor, Robert Carrier used royalties earned from his creation to start an aircraft interior business. From his original strip of Naugahyde, Carrier took a ream of the plastic material and sewed a tube into the side, forming an “irrigating duct” to which a hose could attach. The Wham-O® Slip ‘N Slide®, a mainstay of backyard summertime fun, is turning 50 this year. Slip ‘N Slide has yet to win the honor, but given its iconic status Bensch says he is “confident it will have its day.”, As for Slip ‘N Slide’s inventor, Robert Carrier used royalties earned from his creation to start an aircraft interior business. Invented by upholsterer Robert Carrier while watching his son hose down their slick concrete driveway and slide down on it, the Slip’N Slide was launched to market This 25' long Slip N Slide unit is a great addition to any party for adults or children. Caligula's Gardens, Long Hidden Beneath Italian Apartment Building, to Go on View, The 'Last' Female Swinhoe's Softshell Turtle Died in 2019. “It’s very easy to dismiss,” says Walsh. Water runs through the tube and out small perforations, spraying onto the sliding surface. Robert Carrier's 1961 patent for what became the Slip 'N Slide. ", followed by 411 people on Pinterest. Robert Carrier hoped his invention would replace body planing in mud, which evidently was or maybe even still is a thing because body planing in mud is "dangerous" and "messy." Between 1973 and 1991, seven adults and a 13-year-old suffered neck injuries or paralysis while using Slip ’N Slides. Even in the blurred black and white of a commercial from the 1960s, the footage of happy kids hydroplaning while friends lined up for a turn made a sure sell. When Kransco bought Wham-O in the mid-1980s and re-released the toy, Carrier negotiated a full buy-out. We definitely bonded. The vinyl-coated, waterproof fabric was a vast improvement—slicker and safer—over the perilous concrete. The Slip ’N Slide is a toy manufactured by Wham-O, first introduced in 1961 after being invented by Robert Carrier. Finalist Slip N'Slide, manufactured by Wham-O was first introduced in 1961 and invented by Robert Carrier. A 1991 lawsuit brought by a man who became a quadriplegic after using a Slip 'N Slide led the commission to put out this warning in 1993: "Because of their weight and height, adults and teenagers who dive onto the water slide may hit and abruptly stop in such a way that could cause permanent spinal cord injury, resulting in quadriplegia or paraplegia. Wham-O manufactured it in 1961, the Slip ‘n Slide is still hugely popular today. Though the Slip ‘N Slide name has become synonymous with the product and those like it, now, none except Wham-O’s can be the trademark yellow. Credit: Courtesy of Toy Hall of Fame. Advertising Notice An upholsterer named Robert Carrier invented the Slip ‘n Slide and sold the idea to Wham-O toys, who released the first ones way back in 1961. But another element of Slip ‘N Slide’s appeal was and continues to be its accessibility. Vote Now! Get the best of Smithsonian magazine by email. It started with some bored kids on a … See more ideas about vintage toys, childhood memories, my childhood memories. The design also now features an inflatable pool-like reservoir at the end of the slide, intended to prevent hard stops and flips that could cause injury. It was the summer of 1960, and Robert Carrier had returned home from work to find his 10-year-old son, Mike, and his friends careening down their driveway in Lakewood, California. Carrier sold his invention to Wham-O, which replaced Naugahyde with plastic to cut down on production costs.[3]. Despite these controversies, Slip ‘N Slide’s staying power is strong, and in 2014, more than 40 years after Carrier’s original design first hit the market, the toy was nominated for induction into The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame. Operation is also vastly improved by any lubrication liquids. Luckily, the folks at Wham-O toys were there to help, via the ever-popular Slip 'n Slide. Cookie Policy Slip ‘n Slide was invented by Robert Carrier. As of 2011, more than 30 million Slip ‘N Slides had been sold, and it won’t be surprising if 2020’s “quarantine summer” sees even higher than usual sales. From his original strip of Naugahyde, Carrier took a ream of the plastic material and sewed a tube into the side, forming an “irrigating duct” to which a hose could attach. Like most classic toys, the Slip N Slide owes its existence to a time-honored tradition; namely, that of young boys trying to find creative ways to kill themselves. “I think it is telling that the Slip ‘N Slide comes from Wham-O, a company that seems to have a particularly sensitive finger on the American pulse, as the people who brought you the Frisbee, the Hula Hoop and the SuperBall,” says Chris Bensch, Vice President for Collections at The Strong National Museum of Play. Carrier was a Californian father who would come home from work to find his 10-year-old son and friends sliding down his painted concrete driveway – exciting for the kids but extremely worrying for the father. Commercials featuring kids flying across their lawns brought the toy—an ordinary package on the shelf—to life. Keep up-to-date on: © 2021 Smithsonian Magazine. By 1961, the Slip ‘N Slide had become a national sensation, selling more than 300,000 units. Terms of Use or The Slip n Slide was actually an accidental creation that became a massive hit among kids and adults alike. This is cool in theory, but in practice, the Slip 'N Slide turned out to be unsafe, too. Despite the craze in the 80s, the Slip ‘n Slide was created by Robert D. Carrier in 1960. ", Of course, over the years other companies have created competing versions of the slide, some even resulting in legal disputes. A 1993 recall reflected concerns over the potential danger of the slides, reporting that between 1973 and 1991 seven adults and a 13-year-old who used WHAM-O slides suffered neck injuries, quadriplegia or paraplegia. Carrier was inspired by his son sliding on wet, painted concrete. The toy that eventually became known as the Slip 'N Slide was patented in 1961 by Robert Carrier. “It makes you go like a jet,” said the voice over. … It was August 2000, and I’d been picking noodles out of my hair for days. The toy consisted of a long sheet of yellow plastic with a tube running along one edge. “The best inventions are so simple that people are like, ‘Wow, why didn't I think of that?’ But if you look at the patent, I mean it is really genius. Slip N Slide Wave Rider Double Bring some serious water fun to your garden with the original and best Slip ‘N’ Slide from Wham-O Invented by upholsterer Robert Carrier while watching his son hose down their slick concrete driveway and then slide down on it, the Slip ‘N’ Slide was launched to market by Wham-O in 1961. 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. “It was off the market for while… [Wham-O] kept shortening the length of it, so if you're a full grown-adult and you can sprint way faster than a kid and you weigh 100 pounds more than a kid and the thing is short, and you stop short, bad things are going to happen,” says Walsh. The first prototype was made of Naugahyd, because Carrier worked at an upholstery shop. “Of course, he was the real inventor, and a great father.”. Smithsonian Institution. In 1960, a man named Robert Carrier came home to find his young son, Mike, and a friend playing in the driveway. Once it was made, he spent time improving the design. The seniors at my high school decided the incoming freshmen needed a bonding experience, and so they laid out at least a dozen bright yellow plastic slides across the soccer fields, dumped Kraft macaroni and cheese on top, and turned on the hoses. The invention of the Slip ‘N Slide is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the result of some childhood shenanigans. By attaching the tube to a garden hose, water would spray from tiny holes along the length of the slide, making the plastic extremely slippery. “They just seem to get it, and capture something that isn't quite like anything you've seen before, but suddenly you've got to have.”, Wham-O’s early TV advertisements made the Slip ‘N Slide a summer must-have. Simply roll out the narrow plastic mat, attach a garden hose, and do try to make sure that the end of the slide doesn't lead to a tree, driveway or sidewalk. Amazingly, the Slip 'N Slide predates the Super Soaker by 29 years. Simple but can bring HOURS of fun to your summer day! When Kransco bought Wham-O in the mid-1980s and re-released the toy, Carrier negotiated a full buy-out. Carrier used his job as an upholsterer to obtain a long strip of Naugahyde, to which he sewed a tube to pass a hose into, and punctured the tube intermittently to allow water to spurt out. [2] Carrier used his job as an upholsterer to obtain a long strip of Naugahyde, to which he sewed a tube to pass a hose into, and punctured the tube intermittently to allow water to spurt out. Sep 6, 2020 - Explore Joe Gulick's board "Wham-O", followed by 223 people on Pinterest. Robert Carrier passed away in 2002, but his legacy lives on every summer in grass stains and laughter as kids “slip, slide and away.”, “My dad always told me that I was the inventor of Slip ‘N Slide because of what we did in that driveway,” Mike Carrier once told Walsh, who wrote a book about Wham-O in 2008. The next day, Carrier, who worked as an upholsterer with a boat-manufacturing company, brought home a 50-foot roll of Naugahyde, which he unraveled on the driveway. All Classic Slip ‘N Slide model the original Slip ‘N Slide made by inventor Robert Carrier. Carrier sold his invention to Wham-O, which replaced Naugahyde with plastic to cut down on production costs. The Classic Slip ‘N Slide is the perfect backyard activity for a hot summer day. [4], "Iconic Slip'N Slide® Makes a Big Splash on its 50th Birthday", "The Accidental Invention of the Slip 'N Slide", "50 Years Later, The Slip'N Slide Is Still Simple, Speedy Fun (For The Brave) - Wham-O", "WHAM-O Backyard Water Slides Are Dangerous For Adults And Teenagers - CPSC.gov", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slip_%27N_Slide&oldid=1001322445, Articles with dead external links from May 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 19 January 2021, at 05:23. The original has been modified to include options like double sliding lanes for racing and various inflatable add-ons to slide through, such as a shark jaw, touchdown goal post, “splash dunk” ball net and a palm tree oasis. Both the manufacturer and the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommend that only children use the toy due to the risk of back and neck injuries when it is used by teenagers and adults. “All we wanted as kids was ‘please, can we please have a pool,’” says Walsh. Continue Invented by upholsterer Robert Carrier and released by Wham-O® in 1961, the Slip ‘N Slide® gained instant recognition for turning backyards into magical summer play lands and continues to … The Slip ’N Slide is a toy manufactured by Wham-O, first introduced in 1961 after being invented by Robert Carrier. Inductee: Little Green Army Men. Daniel Modlin, commerce staff writer for the Daily Beast, recently declared, "I'm getting my Slip ‘N Slide before they're all sold out, and I recommend you do the same thing. “Mike told me the story of his dad saying, ‘well you guys are going to kill yourself sliding on concrete’,” says Tim Walsh, game inventor and author of Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Created Them. While my fondest memory of the Slip ‘N Slide is messier than most, it nevertheless connects me to generations of kids who have spent their summers skidding through backyards, soaked with delight in their very own water world. ” was a portable surface for the “sport” of body planing. According to Carrier’s 1961 patent , the “aquatic play equipment” was a portable surface for the “sport” of body planing. The Slip ’N Slide is a toy manufactured by Wham-O, first introduced in 1961 after being invented by Robert Carrier. Not too long after, Carrier partnered with toy company Wham-O to manufacture the “Wham-O Slip ‘N Slide Magic Waterslide.” To make it affordable, they replaced the 50-foot roll of Naugahyde with a 25-foot yellow plastic tarp. Carrier originally sewed 50 foot of Naugahyde and brought it home for his kid to play on and all the kids in the neighborhood came by to slide down the Naugahyde material that he hosed down. Carrier’s job at a boat manufacturer gave him an idea for a safer version, utilizing Naugahyde. Carrier was inspired by his son sliding on wet, painted concrete. The duct had punctures along the length of it, from which water could be released via pressure from the hose. Injuries occur because people heavier or taller than children might stop suddenly when diving onto the toy. 17th Annual Photo Contest Finalists Announced. The Slip ‘N Slide was born in 1960, when a California father named Robert Carrier saw his son using wet concrete to speed along on a summer day. Even today it is still a favorite. Namely, the successful toy manufacturer Wham-O, founded by two University of Southern California graduates in 1948. Smithsonian Magazine has an interesting article on how the Slip 'N Slide at-home water slide became an American institution. Slip ‘N Slide 50th birthday. You attach the hose to one end and then sew the other end shut so that there's pressure, and then you put spaces in between the stitches so that water literally shoots out every inch and lubricates the entire surface of the slide.”. [1] Carrier was inspired by his son sliding on wet, painted concrete. Seams stitched across the length of the fabric at regular intervals also carried water laterally, wetting the repellant surface but not making it soggy. See more ideas about dolls, barbie dolls, celebrities. To escape the heat, the boys had turned the hose on the painted concrete, creating a cool, slippery surface to play on. 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