Is it a sport? An attraction? A fad? Yes! Zorbing is all these things! Here are 5 things you should know about this zany, popular, adventuresome sport and family activity: zorbing.
Zorbing is Really Fun!
Last summer, our family spent the afternoon at Body Bounce Activity Park Newquay Cornwall, UK. Our fave activity? The Body Zorbs. First, a helpful teenaged staff member pushed and squeezed us into these giant big inflated balls. Our legs stuck out so we could stand. We held on to the inside harness and just bumped and rolled around. From time to time a non-zorber would push or roll us. It didn’t feel dangerous or wild. Just mildly pointless…and really fun!
Zorbing in Newquay, Cornwall/Photo: Helen Earley
You Can Zorb on Land or Water
There are two kinds of Zorb: wet and dry (or hydro zorb and harness zorb). In a wet zorb, you are fully enclosed inside a bubble, and floating, or travelling on water.
There are many variations of zorb balls, including the awesome game of bubble soccer, where each player is encased in a bubble, and West Edmonton Mall’s Hurricane Ride, which has been described as something between a waterfall and a roller coaster!
Zorbing in the City of Arts and Sciences complex, Valencia, Spain via Shutterstock
Zorbing Was Born in New Zealand
Zorbing began in Rotorura New Zealand, where there exists to this day one of the most incredible sorbing tracks, hugely popular with locals and tourists. Zorbing folklore however, claims that the ball was originally a UK design.
Zorbing down a hill via Shutterstock
There Have Been Tragic Zorbing Fatalities
The most horrific zorbing accident happened in January 2013 at a Russian Ski resort, when a Zorb rolled out of control down a mountain, eventually stopping one kilometre away. Don’t let this single incident frighten you too much: when you read the details of the sad accident, it’s pretty clear that there were zero safety precautions taken. Russia has since clamped down on the laws surrounding Zorb balls.
Zorbing in the Russian City of Veliky Novgorod, Russia by Marina Zezelina via Shutterstock
The US Government is not keen on Hydro Zorbs
The US government warns consumers not to use “Giant Water Walking Balls”, citing concerns about too little oxygen and too much carbon dioxide in the wet zorb balls. A further concern is that fact that the balls have no emergency exit and can only be opened by a person outside of the ball.
Photo: Helen Earley
The version of zorbing that we tried in England was easy and affordable family fun. Has your family tried zorbing? Please share your experiences in the comments!
