The world's largest waterslide, Verrückt, opened its doors today (July 10) at Schlitterbahn Kansas City.

Standing at 51.4m, the newest ride at the Kansas City theme park, which is taller than the Niagara Falls and the Statue of Liberty, has been officially verified by Guinness World Records as the tallest waterslide in the world.

After tackling the 264 steps to the top, adventure seekers are strapped into a three-person raft that slides down the structure, only to be blasted back up a second hill and then sent down yet another gut-wrenching drop.

Verrückt is a German word that, fittingly, translates as "insane".

Click here to watch a recent test run of Verrückt, featuring waterpark designer Jeff Henry and ride engineer John Schooley.