Call Box: Slippery Dip was cool spot to beat summer heat

Dear Call Box: With the weather as humid as it is, I started thinking about the Slippery Dip on Beach Boulevard. Could you take me down memory lane? - B.G., East Arlington

Dear B.G.: You could call it Jacksonville's version of a "mountain" rising 40 feet and easily viewable from Beach Boulevard. But it was a mountain covered by twisting concrete trails filled with water. Indeed, they used 264,000 gallons of recycled water every two hours.

The first peak opened June 1, 1977. A snack bar, amusement room, patio, sunbathing area and dressing rooms were included in the first stage. Participants skimmed on mats on top of the water into pools at the base of the mountain. The idea was to splash as much water as possible.

It was built by an overseas company at 10707 Beach Boulevard, just west of St. Johns Bluff Road, according to a 1977 Times-Union story. It was open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The story said that another peak was planned for completion by the end of summer that would be for small children only, as well as a swimming pool and picnic area. Although there's nothing in the archives about its completion, there is a photograph showing children waiting in line for the "novice water slide."

All told, the Slippery Dip investment was close to $3 million, including land cost for the 11-acre tract. Funds were provided from overseas investors.

The water park was described by the Jacksonville Journal as offering "thrills, chills and spills." And judging by the number of pictures taken by both newspapers, it was a go-to place to get shots of people beating the heat.

Their expressions ranged from open-mouthed gapes to looks of pure bliss. Some came down the twisting slides with feet extended and some lying down. Some looked like they were trying to surf their way to the pool while others tried, in vain, to take it slow and easy.

One Naval officer told the Times-Union he wouldn't reenlist for another six years unless his recruiter rode the slide with him. The two went down in their uniforms, laughing and high-fiving at the bottom.

When she was 14, Hayley Young said she went down the slide almost every day. Over and over and over.

"I had so much fun I didn't care how many scrapes I got on my elbows and knees. Also concrete burns if you fell off the raft," Young said. "I've still got scars on my knees from where I hit the bottom, but it was so much fun."

She went down so many times that she eventually learned how to avoid getting bruised. Young simply folded the mat - which she recalled as blue - around her and held it up when she reached the end. She also remembers the steep walk to the top of the mountain but said it was worth it.

Years later, as an adult, she was keenly disappointed when she wanted to show her teenage haunt to her husband but found it had closed.

In 1986, the Times-Union reported that First Coast Land Development was demolishing Slippery Dip. Jack Hydock, who had managed the slide the past four years, said the owners, Kellspin Trust, decided it would be more profitable to sell the property to another developer. Area residents told the Times-Union that the slide had experienced declining business in recent years.

Now, as one person noted on Facebook, you can't even tell that the slide was ever there.

 If you have a question about Jacksonville's architectural history, call (904) 359-4622 or mail to Call Box, P.O. Box 1949, Jacksonville, FL 32231. Please include contact information. Photos are also welcome.

Sandy Strickland: (904) 359-4128

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Call Box: Slippery Dip was cool spot to beat summer heat