PIGEON FORGE, Tennessee (May 2015) – Grand openings for businesses sometimes aren’t all that grand, but that wasn’t the case when the Outdoor Gravity Park opened in Pigeon Forge.
Yes, there was a ribbon cutting that involved the mayor, but the big event came when the tourism director came roaring down a hill inside an 11-foot-tall plastic sphere, formally known as an Outdoor Gravity Orb, or OGO.
Up to three people climb inside an OGO before it rolls down a steep 1,000-foot-long path. About 20 gallons of water inside the OGO make for a slippery and unpredictable descent.
Leon Downey, the executive director of the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism, rode solo and carried a video camera to record the event. His trip made the news on two Knoxville TV stations, and it was his laughter as much as the video that amused everyone.
“That’s a hoot. It’s like being inside a giant washing machine,” said a dripping Downey.
There are five OGO routes down the hill, which has a 12 percent grade. Two of the routes are straightaways, and three are zigzag paths.
Outdoor Gravity Park also features the spinning-in-place Fishpipe attraction. Other attractions are planned later this year. Itis just off the Parkway in Pigeon Forge at Traffic Light #1. Online information is at OutdoorGravityPark.com.
Information about all aspects of Pigeon Forge, both wet and dry, is available online at MyPigeonForge.com or by calling 800-259-9100
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Contact:
Tom Adkinson
615-341-8796