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Open to all seasons and weather conditions, thanks to this kind of active recreation, Zorbing. This type of active recreation can be called quite “young”, because of which only a few have encountered it today. However, according to some athletes, keen on unusual and rather extreme pastime, it is necessary to try it all, who want to try something new and extremely original!
So what is zorbing?
Zorbing is one of a kind adventure activity, consisting of rapid descent of a person from an inclined surface in a volume transparent ball with dense outer walls and special fastenings inside spheres of the ball. The name of this kind of adventure came from the name of the human hamster ball itself – zorb, which is the ancestor of zorbing as such.
Zorb – a ball, having a volume of 13 to 14 m and a weight of 70 to 75-80 kg. It consists of 2 layers: two spheres, differing in size (the outer shell is about 2 times twice the inner one), are located just a little less than a meter from each other. The space between the outer and inner spheres is filled with air so that the total elasticity of the ball is maintained. The athlete is placed directly in the inner sphere, getting into it through a single entrance hole.
Zorbing, as a sport, has a very “scanty” history. The creator of it can be considered the French experimenter Gilles Ebersalt, who in 1973 made the first descent in a transparent ball. After nearly 15 years, his invention was improved and took a more modern look.
In itself, zorbing is quite an extreme activity, because of The movement of the zorb ball that rolls from the top of the hill are not controlled by anything, sometimes even by a passenger inside it. That is why many people who are interested in active recreation, often look with caution at this sport. However, it should nevertheless be said that, despite the rather frightening prospect of remaining alone within the rolling ball, zorbing is not as traumatic as, for example, the same yoga. And to completely protect yourself when doing zorbing, you should study all of its pros and cons that he certainly has.
Disadvantage associated with Human Hamster Ball
- Not every person will be able to ride from the hill in a ground zorb, even with money. It’s all about the special parameters of the growth and weight of the passenger, to which most of the Zorbs are oriented. For example, a man who has a height of about 6.5 feet and weighs about 95 kg will be very problematic not only to get into the ball itself but also to ride in it.
- Zorbing is not recommended for those who suffer from such diseases as, for example, hypertension or hypotension, scoliosis, osteoporosis. People who have problems with the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal (and even digestive) systems, it is necessary to be very cautious and prudent to approach every adventure sport.
Pros of zorbing a little more. Among them, you can list such as:
- Low level of damage to the outer shell of zorb. Of course, there are many firms that manufacture zorbs and the quality of the material are directly dependent on this fact, but rarely what zorbs can damage pebbles or small stalks that come on the road. The outer shell of the ball is dense enough and tight, which is why it is far enough to inflict damage on every object that stabs it. When descending from an inclined plane, having a certain speed, Zorb ball simply damages when struck against a stone and there is no damage.
- Many believe that it is worthwhile facing the external obstacle, as the outer shell of the ball does not withstand the force of its internal pressure and is torn to pieces, like a projectile. This is far from the case – no zorbing has ever ended so badly. As already mentioned above, Zorb ball can not damage much, but even if this happens, there is no “rupture” of the outer shell of the ball. Instead, the bubble ball is blown off, slowly decreases in size, slows down its speed, gradually reducing it to zero, and freezes in place. The passenger, in this case, almost nothing threatens – except that the problems get out. In addition, the ball itself, no matter what force you apply to it, is unlikely to gain a great speed.
- Zorbs pretty well tolerate the cold. Of course, very few people dare to tackle the zorb ball in the winter, but even if this happens, the winter zorbing is not much different from the summer one. Most zorbs do not crack in the cold, do not wrinkle and do not burst – the outer shell of the ball easily tolerates the temperature to -25 degrees.
- Zorbing is a relatively young and extreme sport, which makes it an excellent alternative for those who have already tried different kinds of attractions and outdoor activities. Its novelty, light extreme, in conjunction with the almost absolute safety of this type of recreation attract people.
Types of Zorbing
Of course, zorbing, like any sport, has its own varieties.
Ground zorbing (hill) is a descent from an inclined surface. This species has two variations: Harness zorbing – in this case within the bowl are fixtures that hold the passenger and stock zorbing – in which the passenger inside the human hamster ball is completely free from the bindings.
In addition to the ground zorbing, there are other types, for example:
- Hydro zorbing. When practicing this kind of zorbing, the passenger inside the human hamster ball can be in a suspended state (with special fastenings) and completely free, but among other things, there will be water in the zorb ball itself. You are waited by the same descent from an inclined surface, and due to the fact that you will be surrounded by a “bouncing” along with a bowl of water, you will get completely different emotions than when you are on a hill zorbing.
- Free zorbing (or wound zorbing). This type is specified in that a passenger inside the ball himself sets the speed of its rolling or descent. Thus, moving the ball (as if running on the spot), the person rolls the zorb ball himself. This kind of zorbing is good for those who want to control what happens to it inside the ball.
- Bubble Ride. Aqua zorbing is similar to hydro zorbing in that both these species are associated with water, but otherwise, they are completely different from each other. Aqua zorbing means walking on water in a ball over the surface of a small pond or a special pool. In this case, the Bubble ball is water walking ball – only air inside.
- Aerosorbing. Aerosorbing is similar to flying in a wind tunnel, only in this case a person will be placed in a balloon. Hovering in the air in the zorb, like in a soap bubble, the passenger will feel suspended in weightlessness with the only difference that the bubble ball itself will rotate at a rather high speed in space.
- And, finally, snow zorbing. Snow zorbing differs from the classic hill just the time of year. This kind of zorbing is designed for descent or simple skating on flat surfaces in winter.
Of course, zorbing is a very interesting and unusual, perhaps even a kind of active recreation. Most people who have already become acquainted with this sport say that few other activities can present such ambiguous and vivid emotions. Someone is charged with adrenaline and literally “boils” from excitement, someone after zorbing is in a light euphoria, someone compares emotions after riding in a ball similar to riding a roller coaster, someone, on the contrary, argues that zorbing is not is as extreme as, for example, a jump from a parachute. However, everyone who tried this type of active recreation, agree on one thing: zorbing – it’s fun and interesting.
Therefore, if you have not encountered zorbing, then definitely try it! After all, emotions and impressions will remain with you for life and this is perhaps the main and most important plus of this sport, the number of fans of which every day grows steadily.
Body Zorbing – New Bubble ball
