The concrete slides at Pismo Beach, open since 2020, are now officially closed. Screengrab via RRM Design Group YouTube page

Did you get to try them?

As Pismo Beach is a home away from home for many Fresno residents, there’s a good chance many of you have tried the new slides. They debuted back in September 2020 as part of the $8.8 million Pier Plaza project that also brought us the 8-foot-tall “Pismo Beach” letters.

After taking a picture with the letters, just a few steps away were the concrete slides, depositing beachgoers 16 feet below to the sand. The ride is not for the faint of heart. You pick up speed going down and the landing can be tricky.

Many people don’t land on their feet.

The slides have been closed for the last six months due to erosion of sand at the base of the slide, according to The Tribune newspaper. And of course, there’s the litigation. News station KSBY quoted a law firm in an August 2022 story that at least 20 lawsuits had been filed by locals and tourists related to injuries from the slides.

The closure of the Pismo pier for 18 months built up plenty of anticipation for out-of-town visitors, and the slides and letters undoubtedly created a new photo opportunity and some free entertainment. But in this day and age, the concrete slides ended up representing too much danger in our rubber-padded, litigious world.  

It was fun while it lasted.