Proslide Tornado rides have become a staple of water parks throughout North America, providing a unique twist on waterslides with the high flying cloverleaf style tubes swirling down the giant funnels. Six Flags waterparks from coast to coast feature Tornado slides as part of their selection, and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in New Jersey was the last of the parks in the chain to install the slide.
	From its inception, Hurricane Harbor was designed to be expanded with additional slides and attractions. The undeveloped areas like the site for the Tornado were utilized for additional lounge chairs and activities on the shady grass. At the end of the 2009 season the markings for a new attraction began to appear and the announcement was made that a Tornado would be coming for the 2010 season. Over the cold and snowy winter construction began with work going full speed once spring came to get the huge slide ready for the Memorial Day Weekend opening of the park.
Tornado Media Day-- May 27, 2010       Exactly 10 years to the day after Six Flags Hurricane Harbor opened, the Tornado made its debut to the media. Park President Mark Kane, and Spokesperson Angel Aristone presented the ride accompanied by fire dancers and a steel drum band to complete the luau style party on the park's white sand beach style volleyball court. The "ribbon" cutting for the ride featured a jungle style rope of tropical greenery.  The honors for cutting the ribbon were given to weatherman Glen "Hurricane" Schwartz from NBC 10, Philadelphia along with special guest Walk In The Park event ambassador, Lilly Daneman. Together they cut the ribbon with hedge clippers (with some assistance from Mark Kane). Invited guests and news media got to go into the eye of the storm and try out the new attraction before the general public's arrival two days later.
	The Tornado is an impressive looking ride with its four person tubes making the steep drop into the huge funnel. Each raft follows its own unique course depending on the weight and balance of the group of riders, so no two rides are exactly alike. Tubes with more weight tend to run further up the sides of the tunnel going just beyond the vertical point. As the boats run down the funnel they make their way down to the end into the splash pool. The ride is almost as much fun to watch as it is to ride.
Technical Information             Water Complex:   Tornado 60     Complex Name:   The Tornado     Manufacturer:   Proslide Technology Inc. - Ottawa, Ontario               Angle of Drop:   45 degrees     Length of Tunnel: 135 feet     Width of Funnel: 60 feet               Amount of Water: 5000 gallons               Riders per Raft:   4     Capacity:   720 riders per hour               Speed:   20 mph               Colors:   Yellow and Blue               Features:   Observation deck for non-riders
	The structure of the Tornado is unique, with the delicate looking lattice of steel framing supporting the fiberglass shell. Despite the mass of the structure, the entire funnel sits on just a few small footings. The checkerboard pattern of bright blue and yellow make the ride more visually interesting along with increasing the sensation of speed and height of the ride for the riders. The ride's entrance way winds past the mouth of the tunnel on the way to the stairs to the platform affording an up-close view to build the excitement as well as test the nerves of the waiting riders. Water is pumped to the platform at the top for launching the tubes as well as to dozens of nozzles lining the sides of the funnel, providing a layer of water for the tubes to glide on  as they fly along the walls.
	Click here for video of the Tornado: