All About the Funnel Slide

31 May, 2026

‘ProSlide was the first manufacturer to introduce the funnel slide. In 2003, it surprised the world with the giant TORNADO 60. The first installation was Zinga at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari.’

_{Image: ProSlide}

Although the Netherlands is generally not considered a true water slide country, the so-called funnel slide has become well established since its introduction here in 2011. This slide type is also known as a Tornado, Crazy Cone or Hurricone.

Still, there was an eight-year gap between the installation of ProSlide’s first Tornado funnel slide in 2003 and the opening of ProSlide’s Topsy Turvy funnel slide at Center Parcs De Eemhof. Remarkably, the Netherlands now has around twenty funnel slides. As a result, the attraction is no longer distinctive in itself. For developers, owners and operators, the challenge today is less about adding a funnel and more about how it is integrated into an overall concept, or as part of a hybrid attraction that combines several interesting elements.

The history of the funnel slide

In 2003, ProSlide surprised the water slide world with the TORNADO 60, the world’s first funnel slide with a diameter of no less than 60 feet (approx. 18 m). After the first installation at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, many more openings followed that year, and the attraction won the IAAPA Impact Award, generally considered the highest honour a supplier or attraction designer can receive. Today, there are more than 100 ProSlide TORNADO slides worldwide.

How does a funnel slide work, and why was it so revolutionary?

A funnel slide works as follows: a 2- to 6-person raft departs from an enclosed tube. The raft makes a steep descent and then shoots into a giant funnel. Inside the funnel, the raft swings from side to side several times, with the first oscillation creating a moment of weightlessness. Eventually, usually after three oscillations, the raft is gradually guided towards the exit.

Before 2003, water slides consisted almost entirely of open or enclosed tubes and curves. The Tornado introduced:

• large lateral forces;
• moments of weightlessness;
• a visually recognisable element visible from a great distance;
• an experience that felt more like an amusement park ride than a traditional slide.

As a result, the Tornado became a marketing tool. Many parks built their entire expansion around one large funnel. Six Flags even purchased nine Tornados for its parks at once, in the characteristic yellow-and-blue colour scheme.

After 2003, ProSlide introduced the Tornado in several different sizes, including the TORNADO 12, 18, 24, 32 and 45. A 90 was briefly considered but never built.

Although ProSlide patented the Tornado in North America, many other manufacturers copied the slide outside that region, with highly variable results.

Funnel slides in the Netherlands

As is often the case, the Netherlands was not an early adopter in the field of water slides: the very first modern funnel slide in the Netherlands was the Turbo Twister (a triple ProSlide Tornado 12 called Topsy Turvy) at Center Parcs De Eemhof, opened in 2011.

In the years that followed, examples included:
2012 – Crazy Cone tube slide at Marveld Recreatie by Van Egdom
2015 – a double MexiCone tube slide by Van Egdom at Slagharen
2016 – a body cone at holiday park Ackersate (Van Egdom)
2016 – Crazy (body) Cone at Holiday Park De Zandstuve (Van Egdom)
2016 – EDIT: Cone slide Dazzler at Twentebad in Hengelo (Watergames & More)
2017 – Crazy (body) Cone by Van Egdom at Eiland van Maurik
2017 – Triton (a triple tubing cone) at the Tikibad in Duinrell (Van Egdom)
2017 – a Kids Cone at the Tikibad (Van Egdom)
2017 – Bombo at Hof van Saksen, a copy of ProSlide’s TORNADO 60 by Van Egdom that was just fractionally larger than the original TORNADO 60 and therefore carries the title of “largest in the world”.
2018 – a tube Crazy Cone at De Peppel in Ede (Van Egdom)
2019 – EDIT: Aquarena Emmen (supplied by Polish company Firma Mazur)
2019 – Saltato at Hof van Saksen (a quadruple tubing cone by Van Egdom)
2019 – an open Hurricone body version connected to the water play area at Landal Het Vennenbos by Iplay
2020 – a tubing Crazy Cone at Roompot/Landal’s Nieuwvliet Bad park (Van Egdom)
2021 – an outdoor Hurricone at Camping Ommerland (Iplay)
2021 – the Hurricone at Landal De Lommerbergen by Iplay
2022 – Crazy Cone at Holiday Park Het Lierderholt (Iplay)
2022 – Crazy Cone (body) at holiday park De Kuilart (Iplay)
2022 – Hurricone at Holiday Park Samoza
2025 – EDIT: Holiday Park Klein Vaarwater Buren Ameland (Boer Slides & Disco)
2026 – a body cone at holiday park Ommerland (Iplay)
2026 – an Iplay Hurricone at Center Parcs Sandur
2026 – an open body cone (Iplay), connected to the Mauk Splash water play area at Eiland van Maurik

In summary:

• There are currently six tube funnel slides in the Netherlands, with the one at Hof van Saksen standing out because of its 195-metre length and because it features no fewer than four(!) funnels in succession.
• Both funnel slides at Hof van Saksen start at more than 20 metres; two start between 10 and 20 metres, and notably, the rest start below 10 metres.
• Only Bombo at Hof van Saksen falls into the so-called Family Thrill attraction category: it is the only family tube slide in the Netherlands with a vehicle that seats four people. Internationally, the standard here is at least five people, while six and now even seven are also possible.
• Although ProSlide invented this type of slide, the number of installations in the Netherlands remained at one.

Distinctiveness

If you want to stand out in the flat Dutch water slide landscape, I would not recommend a standard funnel slide. It has been done too often, so you need to invest significantly to make it genuinely strong or unique.

To truly stand out, you need a starting height of at least 15+ metres, and it is advisable to choose multiple funnels in succession. What could work well is a hybrid funnel slide in which the funnel(s) are alternated with another element, as Siam Park did with Kinnaree, where a TORNADO 24 is followed by a Wave element. The landscape integration completes the experience.

Personally, I am not a fan of body versions from any manufacturer. It is an uncomfortable ride, and with a bit of bad luck you get waterboarded in the funnel. For children, the attraction works better because of their flexibility and smaller body length. I think the funnel slide truly works best as a tube slide.

Position in the water slide landscape

The funnel slide has more than earned its place in the water slide landscape. In fact, the original Tornado may even be the king of slides thanks to its innovative character, imposing appearance, powerful experience and versatility, from body sliding to 6-person rafts. And all of that since 2003, underlined by an IAAPA Industry Impact Award!

Feel free to add any missing Dutch funnel slide in the comments!