Travel News: Ellie Simmonds Launches new Family Water ride at Center Parcs

by Shabana Adam | 24 November 2012

Fresh from her triumph at the London Paralympic Games, Ellie Simmonds returns to Center Parcs Elveden Forest, where she first learnt to swim, to launch the new Tropical Cyclone water ride.

Celebrating the opening of the £4 million family water ride, Ellie experienced the Tropical Cyclone in a special edition ‘gold’ raft, created to celebrate her success at the place where it all began.

The world-first Tropical Cyclone sees two award-winning water rides, joined together for the very first time. Families staying at Center Parcs Elveden Forest in Suffolk, can experience a series of exciting twists, turns and drops in a four-person clover-shaped raft reaching speeds of up to 30mph.

Ellie said: “Center Parcs Elveden Forest was where I first learnt to swim so it’s a really special place for me and my family. The new water ride is amazing and the drop really gets your pulse racing. I have lots of memories here at Center Parcs so it’s great to be part of the opening.”

Tropical Cyclone™ Facts and Figures:

Riders will experience this unique ride as a family in a four-person clover-shaped raft.
Riders will reach speeds of up to 30mph.
The Tropical Cyclone spans over 200 metres in length.
The water ride can take up to 720 rafters per hour – that’s 12 per minute.
The water flow reaches 25,000 litres per minute
The water temperature inside the ride is a tropical 30 degrees Celsius.
The top of the water ride stands at 18m tall - that’s the equivalent height of an English oak tree

Tropical Cyclone is now open for families staying at Center Parcs Elveden Forest. In addition to the new water ride, a new child-friendly, family Lagoon Pool also opens at Center Parcs Elveden Forest today. These exciting additions are part of a long-term investment into the Subtropical Swimming Paradises at all four Center Parcs locations.