Adrenalin junkies leapt from Paris's Eiffel Tower on Monday, flying through the air on a zip wire at up to 90 kilometers an hour.

The free 55-mph rides are being organized 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 Sunday.

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

Riders depart from the second floor of the famous landmark, about 115 meters (380 feet) above the ground, and travel 800 meters 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 Monday.

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.