Guests test out the new water slide and the meandering "river" during a grand-opening celebration at JW Marriott Starr Pass resort on the West Side of Tucson.
A swimsuit-clad Mayor Bob Walkup took the inaugural slide, followed by four University of Arizona cheerleaders — in their cheer uniforms. Construction on the $1.5 million "lazy river," slide and cove, officially named Starr Canyon River and Monsoon Falls Water Slide, began in December 2007.
The slide stands 16 feet above pool level, is 110 feet long and offers 360-degree views of Tucson Mountain Park and the Tucson cityscape.
A trip down the winding slide ends at the beginning of the "lazy river," where 177,000 gallons of heated water propel guests on a 10-minute casual float around the patios. As guests travel around the 1,209-foot-long river, 22 different spray jets shower them gently.