Oklahoma’s Lost Waterslides Were A Different Kind Of Summer Fun

Every generation has something kids today will never get to experience.

For me, one of those things is the old concrete waterslides that used to be scattered around Oklahoma.

The Quartz Mountains had a pair of them years ago. If you're old enough to remember them, it's probably time to schedule your next colonoscopy.

Now, I have to admit that I never had the chance to slide down them. They were closed by the time I discovered them, but I did grow up on some really similar concrete waterslides in northern Oklahoma.

Same/Same, But Different

Here's how my childhood slides went. You'd grab one of those blue foam mats that had once seen much better days, dip it in the little pool at the top, lay down, and hope for the best.

Most of the time it was a blast.

Every once in a while... it wasn't.

Concrete doesn't stay perfectly smooth forever. Between Oklahoma summers and winters, those slides developed a little character over the years. You just hoped you picked a lane that wasn't quite as "character-filled" as the one next to it.

The Wichita Mountains had waterslides, too.

If you've ever driven the refuge, you've either spotted them instantly or never even noticed. Just outside the gates on the Medicine Park side, they're up on that first hill. If the grass isn't too high, they generally stick out enough to catch your attention.

They remind us all of a very different time.

Actually... This is probably true of all of those old slides we grew up on.

Think about this, when was the last time you saw shiny stainless steel slides at a public park?

They used to be everywhere. And even though you knew it was going to be hot as lava, we all just accepted it. Like the reward of fun was totally worth the risk to life and limb.

Now everything's plastic and a whole lot safer.

Maybe that's why the old concrete waterslides disappeared too.

As much fun as they were, I have a feeling there were plenty of scraped elbows, bruises, and stories that insurance companies wouldn't underwrite today.

Ever stop just out of the lifeguard's eyesight so you and a friend could tandem your way down? Always a solid plan, but whoever went first would risk the 50/50 back blowout of stopping whoever went second.

We all survived.

Still... it's funny how something as simple as an old waterslide can take you right back to being a kid.