LAS VEGAS LAUNCHES THE SCARIEST NEW THRILL RIDE IN AMERICA

If you’ve ever entertained the idea of sky diving or base jumping but just haven’t been able to take that first step towards doing it, you might want to take a trip to Las Vegas.  The new ride at the Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas combines elements of both skydiving and base jumping.  The SkyJump is a controlled free-fall where riders plummet 855 feet at up to 40 miles an hour.  Beforehand, riders get a short safety lesson and are geared up in custom jumpsuits.  Connected to a high-speed “descender” machine, they are then led to the edge of a small platform to leap out and descend 100-plus stories.  Guide wires keep riders from straying off-course, and the machine slows down near the bottom, bringing riders to a controlled and safe landing.  My guess is it won’t be too long before we see this “ride” employed as a challenge on a future season of CBS’s Amazing Race.

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July 23rd, 2010 | Tags: The Amazing Race, Theme park rides | Category: Daily Blog