I say the "art" of sliding because I don't understand all the physics that goes into it, but here's a look at getting more speed on slides both wet and dry. If you understand more of the physics, feel free to enlighten us. I've been bothering my superiors with these questions all morning. Last weekend, Greenbelt, MD held its annual Labor Day festival which was an interesting slice of small-town Americana in the midst of the sprawling DC suburbs. Still unable to resist the lure of the rides at the age of twenty-something, I acquired a wristband and rode. When some ten-year-old kid zipped past me on the Giant Slide, the manager at the bottom handing out the burlap bags advised me to lift myself onto my hands and heels, getting my rear off the bag. Lo and behold, it worked. Why? Beginning mechanics courses teach us that friction doesn't depend on surface area, so shrinking my points of contact shouldn't make me go any faster. However, they always note