Four different Tornados?

After riding the Tornado at SFA the other day, I thought that is was very different from the one I rode at SFNE last year, and I was right after looking at a picture of the one at SFNE. Whereas SFNE's has a slight hook before the drop, SFA's starts with a tunnel that turns around like a U-turn before the drop. It's seems much faster and in my opinion better than the SFNE version (and I didn't think I'd ever hear myself say that).

According to the ProSlide website cutsheet, there are four different models of the Tornado: Shooter, Rattler, Typhoon, and Thunder. Unfortunately, they don't have a diagram of each. So does anyone know if all four have been produced (the website only lists years of slide installations, not the type or model), and if so, what model does your park have?

Don't forget Camel Beach has one too.

Well we know of three different ones being out there...

Holiday World's with the drop, helix and then drop into the bowl on the left side.

SFNE with it's slight hook and then drop into the bowl (it's one the right correct?)

SFA/SFStL with it's U-turn then drop into the bowl on the right side.

As for names, not a clue. :(

SFFT has the last version Swooshy mentioned...;)

That's the only one I've ridden other than HW's....not really much of a waterpark person.

SF's Whitewater in Atlanta has one, no idea what kind that is. SFDL - I'll let ya know once I finish uploading the pics...

These things are the *Boomerangs of waterparks*...;)

They may be becoming the "boomerangs of waterparks", but don't dis them till you've rode them. They are a TON of fun! My gf and I rode the one at SFA seven times in our trip last Tuesday and would have ridden more had the line not gotten so long. Not to mention, it has great capacity and is a centerpiece attraction for any waterpark.

As for the model names, haven't a clue. Try writting to ProSlide, I'm sure they could give you an answer.

Crashmando, do you go to Camel Beach a lot? It's a cool water park, and Vortex and Spin Cycle are really fun. If anyone gets the chance to go, you definitely should.

Don't forget that a couple of those models... have a lift for the rafts (Geauga Lake's, for example) while other models (the ones Six Flags purchased), you gotta lug them up yourself.

Just another example of how CF takes care of you better. ;)

*Ducks so I don't get hit by Cedar Point t-shirts that are on fire being thrown by Six Flags fanboys.

:)

*** Edited 6/10/2005 2:45:39 AM UTC by Corkscrewy*** *** Edited 6/10/2005 2:56:49 AM UTC by Corkscrewy***

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DawgByte II said:
Don't forget that a couple of those models... have a lift for the rafts

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Those conveyor belt lifts are not "standard" and are "add-ons" which does not qualify them as a completely different model. :)

I believe that the first three of these to open in 2003 where the ones at SFNE, Holiday World, and High Anxiety at Mountain Creek. I've only been on Zinga and was wondering if anyone can confirm that all three of these are the same model. I assume that Proslide only offered one in the beginning.

I'm pretty sure HW's and SFNE's are two different models. Never heard of Mt. Creek so can not comment on that one.

HW isn't owned by CF.

This is the first time I've heard of them called Shooter, Rattler, Typhoon, and Thunder. The ad they placed in Amusement Today shows only three Tornados: Superchute, Rattler and Signature. The Signature is a picture of Holiday Worlds. I don't recognize the other two. The Superchute has a chute entrance facing the same way as the funnel, it makes a right turn then drops into the funnel from the left. It's hard to make out the Rattler picture but it looks to be just the opposite of the Superchute. The chute entrance faces the back of the funnel and then makes a left turn and drops into the left of the funnel. None of the pictures show the models that we have in Texas. All the ones here start facing away from the funnel, make a complete U-turn then drop into the right side. We have these at SFFT, Splashtown, and Hurricane Harbor. It sounds like the same model Swoosh described for SFA/SFStL

I think Swoosh got that memo. He was responding to Heath....;)

Those raft conveyor lifts ARE awfully expensive, not entirely sure why....but I sure am glad that HW has one, and I'll be happy to contribute to Pat Koch's "Konveyor kitty"...:)

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Crashmando said:
Don't forget Camel Beach has one too.

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Unless their website and map is incorrect, they don't. They do however have two of the toilet-bowl slides.

As far as the CP taking care of you better, we at Six Flags aren't afraid to get our hands dirty and carry our rafts to the top:) I'm not sure the conveyor belt system would work for SFA's Tornado, because there are two different types of rafts--Cloverleaf-room for up to 4, and Whirly Wheel--room for up to 2. I'm not sure how they could figure out to have enough of each raft at the top. *** Edited 6/10/2005 2:50:02 PM UTC by Intamin Fan***

The original three Tornados are at SFNE, Holiday World and Mountain Creek in NJ all built in 2003. SFNE and Mountain Creek were the same "stock" model while Holiday Worlds has the extra helix and is larger in size. SFNE modified their Tornado at the end of the 2003 season, adding the U-Turn into the drop.

The other 10 Six Flags Tornado slides built in 2004 and 2005 are exactly the same with U-Turn into drop (some drop in from the left and some from the right).

The only bigger Tornado I know of to match Holiday World's is at PKI. Other Tornado slides (which style?) are located at: Great Wolf Lodge (enlclosed) - WI, Rapids Waterpark in FL, Knott's Soak City in San Diego, Geauga Lake, Michigan's Adventures and Super Aqua Club in Montreal Canada. There may be more than this, but I count 20 slides built in three years time.

*** Edited 6/10/2005 11:20:50 PM UTC by SFZIP***

Geauga Lake has the biggest model, I'm guessing that's the Thunder model.. 2 turns, one of them a really sharp downward helix, then the 60 foot drop into the funnel

I don't agree with who built the waterpark, but I think I'd reconsider just to check out all the new stuff, can't abandon my home park. I do say though that GL's Tornadoe is awesome looking, and on June 15th they started running and testing it. Lakecrystal do you know how tall the thing is from ground up? (or anyone know?)

Intamin Fan, I guess they could do it like HW and just have everyone ride the cloverleaf rafts. ;)

It's about 75 feet high total. The drop into the funnel is about 50 to 60 feet of that. Along with another 250 feet of tube slide before the drop. *** Edited 6/16/2005 12:18:41 AM UTC by lakecrystal***