Slip sliding away

There’s something in the water. This week, the City of Durango announced the opening of the brand spanking new Wibit Aqua Park at Lake Nighthorse. Think of the interconnected series of blow-up play structures as a floating jumpy castle on steroids. 

“The Parks and Recreation Department is very excited to offer this fun and unique opportunity to the community,” Amy Schwarzbach, natural resources manager, said.

The park is manufactured by German water-sports company Wibit, which has built hundreds if not thousands of similar interlocking water features in towns and cities around the world, including Farmington, Ruidoso, N.M., and Ouray.

Of course, this much unbridled inflatable fun comes with rules:

• All guests using the Aqua Park are required to wear a life jacket at all times

• Children under 12 years must be accompanied by an adult when using the Aqua Park

• No paddle craft allowed inside the yellow safety buoys

• Participants must remove watches, jewelry, keys or other sharp objects before entering the Aqua Park

• No swimming underneath the inflatables

• No floatation devices other than a life jackets allowed on the Aqua Park

• No diving or sliding headfirst off the Aqua Park

• Shoes not allowed on the Aqua Park

“Safety is our highest priority as visitors become familiar with the Wibit,” said Schwarzbach. “Please follow the Aqua Park rules to ensure everyone enjoys this new amenity.”

The Wibit Aqua Park is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Lifeguards are on duty.

The City also reminds users that the water temp at lake Nighthorse is still quite nippy – a heart-palpitating 55 degrees as of Wednesday. For more info., go to DurangoGov.org/Lakenighthorse. Fair-weather swimmers and paddlers can also check out the live Lake Nighthorse webcam here as well as water temps by clicking on the “swim beach” tab.

Last one in is a rotten egg.