Detroit's giant slide is back. There will probably be fewer bruises this time

Amaya Johnson and her son Deon Johnson ride the newly reopened Giant Slide at Belle Isle in Detroit on Friday, July 19, 2024. (Neo Hopkins/Detroit News via AP)

DETROIT (AP) - A giant slide in Detroit reopened Friday, and no one lost a tooth - yet.

The slide at Belle Isle state park made headlines, landed on late night TV and even inspired a song after viral videos in 2022 showed riders flying and bouncing down the bumpy ramp.

Two years later, the six-lane slide is open again, this time with some changes. The Department of Natural Resources added padding to the slide, acquired new sacks for riders and skipped the wax.

"It was awesome, even though it was kinda scary," Eliseah Griffin, 11, told The Detroit News.

But some riders said the thrill was gone without the wax.

"It didn't do anything," Lorraine Edwards, 66, said. "It was no fun at all."

In 2022, video of high-flying riders earned a mention on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Detroit rapper Gerald Allen, who performs as Gmac Cash, wrote a song.

"It's like jumping off a roof," he sang at the time. "Man, you can lose a tooth."

Meagan Elliott, president of the Belle Isle Conservancy, a group that supports park operations, said people had repeatedly asked when the slide would reopen.

"It was such a joy," said Elliott, who took a ride Friday.