Schlitterbahn’s newest attraction has opened at its Kansas City waterpark in the US – the world’s tallest and fastest water slide.

The 168ft (51.2m) drop – a longer plunge than going off the Niagara Falls – has opened after several weeks of delays, with technical glitches costing around US$1m (€734,000 £584,000) to fix, postponing the original 23 May opening date.

Verrückt – the German word for insane – features a three-second free fall reaching speeds of around 50mph (80kph) before being launched upwards into a ‘weightless’ situation and then plummeting down once again to finish up in a splash pool. Each raft can accommodate up to three people.

“We have long experience in building water park rides and developing new technology. Our park in Kansas City doesn’t have a height restriction so we decided to put it right here,” said head designer John Schooley.

“We have multiple volunteers to be the first to ride it. Roller coaster enthusiasts will have to try it. It has a great potential draw.”