Rob Bliss' waterslide sold at auction

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Rob Bliss sold his 500-foot Lyon Street Waterslide at an auction on Tuesday to pay off his debt to the city of Grand Rapids.

The bidding started at $1,000 and ended with SpringHill Camps' offer of $9,525. The non-profit Christian camp and retreats ministry has locations in Evart, Mich., Seymour, Ind., and Ohio. The camp expressed its excitement on Twitter on Tuesday night -- "We just bought the world's largest inflatable water slide!! 2012 is going to be a great summer!"

On Aug. 21 and 22, 2010, more than 10,000 people used the $30,000 waterslide that was stretched between Ransom and Division avenues in downtown Grand Rapids.

The waterslide is made up of 11 inflatable sections that roll up into a neat 10' x 10' space.

The world's largest waterslide "helped re-imagine what downtown Grand Rapids could look like, and continued to bring positive attention to our town from around the nation," according to a news release.

"While I'm sad to see this unique piece of Grand Rapids' history depart, I am also eager to pay off my debt to the City of Grand Rapids." said organizer Bliss. "We had an enormous amount of fun that weekend in August and I plan to continue to do my part in the community but paying back the city government is of upmost importance. I am grateful for their patience and will continue to work towards resolving this balance."

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