Eiffel Tower turns into thrill-seeking ride at 90km an hour

The free 55-mph rides are being organised by Perrier, the French sparkling water brand, as part of festivities during the last week of the French Open tennis championships.

A participant rides a zip line from the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, 115 metres above the ground along an 800-metre long route, as part of a free event operating until June 11 in Paris. Charles Platiau / Reuters
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Adrenalin junkies leapt from Paris’s Eiffel Tower on Monday, flying through the air on a zip wire at up to 90 kilometres an hour.

The free 55-mph rides are being organised by Perrier, the French sparkling water brand, as part of festivities during the last week of the French Open tennis championships, and will continue until June 11.

The minute-long flight aims to give participants a taste of what a smash serve might feel like — where speeds regularly exceed 200 kilometres an hour.

Riders depart from the second floor of the famous landmark, about 115 metres (380 feet) above the ground, and travel 800 metres down toward the other end of the Champs de Mars park at the foot of the tower.

The first participants took to the air under blue skies on June 5.

The thrill seekers were selected in an online draw last week, and around 100 rides are planned before the men’s final on Sunday at Roland Garros in western Paris.

* AFP