The History of the Slip ‘N Slide

During the summer of 1960, Robert Carrier arrived home to find his 10-year-old son Mike and his friends sliding around their driveway after wetting the painted concrete with a hose. Concerned about their safety and inspired by their antics, Carrier returned to work the next day (he was employed as an upholsterer at a boat-manufacturing company) and brought home a 50-foot roll of Naugahyde. He spread the vinyl-coated, waterproof fabric on the driveway to create a slicker, safer surface for the kids to play on — but he didn’t stop there. Carrier cut a ream of Naugahyde off the roll, sewed a tube into the side to form an “irrigating duct,” and punctured holes at intervals along the duct. Then he attached a hose so that water would flow laterally along the surface. On May 2, 1961, Carrier patented his “aquatic play equipment.” He then showed his invention to some coworkers and learned that his boss had a connection at a toy company, Wham-O. Carrier licensed his idea to Wham-O (and later used the royalties he earned to start his own aircraft interior business; he also negotiated a full buyout when Kransco bought Wham-O in the 1980s). The company made a few changes, including switching to a less pricy vinyl plastic and shortening the length to 25 feet. Then Wham-O debuted the Wham-O Slip ‘N Slide Magic Waterslide at the New York City Toy Fair in February 1961. After advertisements brought the toy to life on television, it became wildly popular, and by September of that same year, over 300,000 units had been sold! Slip ‘N Slide sales were also bolstered by sheer affordability; retailing at $9.95 in the 1960s, it was cheaper than passes to the neighborhood pool or town beach. Over the years, the price has increased, but so have the features. Many models include inflatable add-ons like shark jaws and palm trees. Newer models also include an inflatable splash pool at the end — and you may be surprised to learn it isn’t just there for fun. The feature was added in response to a 1993 recall issued after seven adults and a 13-year-old child suffered neck injuries, quadriplegia, or paraplegia after using the toy. The splash pool was intended to mitigate potential injuries caused by sudden stops or flips at the end of the slide. The manufacturer also added an age limit of 12 to discourage use by adults and older children, both groups more likely to be injured due to them naturally possessing greater mass and running power than the toy could safely support. Over the years, several competitors released their own versions of the Slip ‘N Slide, but the authentic Wham-O version is the only one allowed to use the trademark yellow color. Today, despite some safety concerns, the Slip ‘N Slide remains a popular backyard toy for summertime fun.