Stefania Sarrubba
A diving champion challenged the safety regulations at an Austrian adventure park after seeing one water slide was deemed 'not fit for women'.
However, she soon realised there was an important reason for the warning sign, as the slide in question could pose a health risk to female users.
While it’s not uncommon for adventure parks to issue specific regulations and have restrictions on certain slides, these are normally related to someone’s height and weight.
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Area 47 adventure park in Tyrol, Austria had several people question its rules when a ‘no women’ sign was spotted on one of its slides.
Aussie champion diver Rhiannan Iffland decided to ride the terrifying slide - boasting speeds of up to 50 mph - with a friend, and documented what women were supposedly missing out on.
Moments into her speedy descent, Iffland realised why the sign had been put up in the first place.
Despite being an eight-time world champion cliff diver who is more than used to daunting heights, she knew she had f***ed up big time.
Moments after the 33-year-old disappeared down the contraption, she let out a piercing scream.
Sharing the video on Instagram, Iffland wrote: “Here for a good time not a long time!
“Another YOLO moment.”
People went wild on social media, implying that the park’s decision to have a male-only slide was pretty sexist.
And while we can see why it appears that way - there’s actually a real reason behind why females are advised not to use it.
In recent years, there have been reports of women having their insides 'ripped apart' by high-speed water slides.
According to the National Library of Medicine in the US, women can sustain horrific injuries if high-pressure water enters their bodies, while there is also a risk of infections due to the foreign bodies found in the water.
Realising her mistake, Iffland told news.com.au: "It was never my intent to mock the safety regulations of this water slide.
“A person’s safety is paramount and I am constantly weighing up any danger with my job.
"To suggest otherwise, is wrong.”
The adventure park later issued a statement, addressing the 'misogyny' claims.
A spokesperson from the park told Tyla: "AREA 47 was built in 2009/2010. At that time, we did not intend to create a 'men only' attraction within the water park. Initially, this particular slide was open to both women and men.
"However, in the second year, we noticed a significant increase in accidents on this slide, which required us to take action. We consulted with doctors, authorities, and the manufacturer of the slide.
"This led to a difficult decision: either disassemble the water slide or restrict its use to men only, as it stands now."
They added: "Our highest priority is ensuring the safety and happiness of all our guests, regardless of gender.
"The risks for women using this slide were tragically highlighted a few years ago when a woman was severely injured on a similar slide in the Canary Islands.
"I want to emphasise that AREA 47 is not misogynistic. Approximately 50 percent of our team members are female, and 60 percent of our management team is female."