World Champion Diver Faced Backlash After Ignoring Water Slide's 'No Women' Rule — Here's What Happened

Rhiannan Iffland found herself going viral after boldly riding one of the fastest waterslides in Europe, located at the high-adrenaline Area 47 adventure park in Austria—despite being clearly warned not to.

Signs were posted around the attraction, making it known that "women are not allowed to use this slide"

Some waterslides come with genuine health risks. Credit: Henrik Sorensen/Getty

The slide is part of the park’s extreme attractions list and sends people flying down at speeds up to 80 km/h (about 50 mph). It's a feature of Area 47’s thrill-seeking activities that also include canyoning, bungee jumping, white-water rafting, and what they proudly label as Europe’s "fastest waterslide."

The reason women are restricted from using this particular slide actually boils down to real safety concerns. Medical professionals have pointed out that sliding at such high velocity can lead to what’s informally referred to as a "waterslide enema"—when pressurized water enters the body and may result in serious internal damage or infections.

One study from the National Library of Medicine specifically warns that "water under high pressure can produce vaginal injury." and there have even been reports over the years of incidents like "vaginal injury in premenarcheal patients may result from a water slide.", according to coverage in the Mirror.

Even after all these warnings, Iffland—who’s a seven-time champion in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series chose to go ahead and brave the slide, brushing past a sign that said: "Due to high risk of injury, women are not allowed to use this slide."

Iffland later posted a video of the moment on social media, adding the caption: "Here for a good time not a long time! Another YOLO moment."

In the clip, you can see her holding onto the overhead bar while keeping her legs firmly crossed. She then launches herself down the steep slide with full force.

The post quickly went viral and prompted loads of reactions, with many viewers chiming in to share their own intense stories about wild waterslide experiences. The phrase "waterslide enema" popped up repeatedly throughout the comments.

Not everyone was impressed by her daring stunt though. Some Instagram users were pretty critical, and one person pointedly wrote: "She broke the rules and endangered herself. She needs to be responsible for her actions as younger girls look to her for guidance and inspiration."

The speed and pressure of slides can be dangerous. Credit: Westend61/Getty

Responding to the backlash, Iffland told news.com.au: "It was never my intent to mock the safety regulations of this waterslide. A person's safety is paramount and I am constantly weighing up any danger with my job. To suggest otherwise, is wrong."

Area 47 also released a statement on the matter. A representative emphasized that the well-being of guests is always their top concern and shared the reasoning behind their policy: "This led to a difficult decision: either disassemble the water slide or restrict its use to men only, as it stands now. Our highest priority is ensuring the safety and happiness of all our guests, regardless of gender."

Rhiannan Iffland is a champion diver. Credit: Dean Treml/Red Bull via Getty Images

If you're wondering how things turned out for Iffland, she came through without injury and has since added another trophy to her shelf—winning the 2025 Red Bull Cliff Diving event in Italy. That marked her second win of the season and her ninth overall in Polignano a Mare.

Although keeping your legs crossed tightly while sliding might lower some of the risk, the danger is still very real, especially at those kinds of speeds.

There have been other scary cases too, like one where parents filed a lawsuit after their eight-year-old daughter reportedly lost half a liter of blood on a slide. In another situation, a guest at Disney claimed to suffer a "painful wedgie" from a slide in Florida, sparking a legal battle of their own.