I consider myself a coasterenthusiast. Whenever there is a waterpark nearby or connected to a theme park, you can bet money that I will choose the theme park over the waterpark. However, I decided to venture into Hurricane Harbor last month at Six Flags Great America to ride something that has always intrigued me: the Proslide Tornado.
Proslide’s website describes tornado as:
“Want to know what it’s like to ride a TORNADO™? Check out the hottest multi-person water ride on the planet and discover the awesome power of nature’s wrath. This one-of-a-kind experience begins with a dark tunnel and a full 45˚ drop, accelerating riders into the immense funnel at a pulse-pounding 20 mph and propelling riders high up the opposite side of the TORNADO™ funnel to experience a momentary Zero-Gee experience. After a series of exciting oscillations through the funnel, riders descend through the darkened outrun tunnel and into the landing pool below. The four-man CLOVERleaf™ and two-man WhirlyWHEEL™ tubes add to the group appeal of this ride and permit a throughput of 720 riders per hour or more. The TORNADO™ is available in both open and enclosed designs. ”
I will admit, before my ride on the Tornado, I had never been down a true waterslide before. I had been on a few “dry” slides at Ober Gatlinburg, but nothing like what you would find at today’s modern waterparks. After a lap around the lazy river, my group and I got in line, with cloverleaf tube in hand. We had a long way to go before we reached the top.
I was surprised with how quickly the line moved. I enjoyed getting a somewhat nice view of the waterpark and the dry park. As we inched closer to the loading platform, my heart began to beat a little bit faster. I couldn’t believe it – I was somewhat intimidated by this giant funnel. I liked the oncoming rush of adrenaline.
As we watched the party ahead of us depart, my group discussed which side of the cloverleaf tube we were going to sit on, as if it really mattered. I put my foot in the water. It was ice cold. We got situated in the boat and the lifeguard gave the safety spiel before pushing us into the dark tunnel. We gained some speed before making a sharp turn. Then it was all downhill from there. Literally. The bottom of the raft dropped from below me, but luckily I had a death grip on the two handles. We sped down the funnel before speeding back up the other side. I was shocked by the amount of weightlessness I experienced during the ride. I guess gravity doesn’t care where you are, coaster, waterslide, it doesn’t matter!
We hit one small bump while nearing the bottom of the funnel but other than that it was a very smooth ride. We exited the funnel into the pool below in a dramatic, water-infused splash. All in all, it was a very fun ride. Now I can see why practically every waterpark has one of these. It’s not only visually appealing to onlookers, but it’s even more appealing to those who dare to ride it! Rest easily knowing there’s probably one within a short distance from you.
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