tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49791673869559857292024-02-08T07:02:08.071-05:00Zorb BallZorb|Zorb Riding|Places To Zorb | ZorbingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-30832872312416598072008-03-22T08:52:00.000-04:002008-03-22T08:53:54.669-04:00Zorbing In America<p>Tennessee is home to the first Zorb® in the U.S. — Zorb® Smoky Mountains. What, you ask, is a Zorb? Simply put, a Zorb is a large inflatable plastic ball that measures approximately 11 feet in diameter and weighs almost 200 pounds. But the Zorb’s vital statistics don’t begin to tell the whole story; it’s what you can do inside a Zorb that counts. Passengers — or Zorbonauts — fit inside the ball and experience countless thrills as the Zorb rolls several hundred feet down a hill. A cushion of air inside the ball protects the Zorbonauts throughout the descent. Welcome to the world of extreme sports in Pigeon Forge.</p> <p>Zorb Smoky Mountains offers two types of Zorb rides, both very different. The Harness Zorb ride calls for the passenger to be strapped inside the Zorb with a harness. The result — very often a feeling of weightlessness as the ball rolls downhill. During the Hydro Zorb ride, Zorbonauts remain unharnessed but share the Zorb with a bucket of water, creating a very slippery ride. Up to three people can ride inside a Zorb ball. There is also a Zorb experience expressly designed for children under age six.</p> <p>Zorb Smoky Mountains will open in Pigeon Forge in late 2007. Zorb originated in New Zealand, a country known for its extreme sports and outdoor adventures.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-38784094471113377542008-03-22T08:46:00.002-04:002008-03-22T08:50:29.567-04:00What Are Zorb Balls Made From?The<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Zorb</span> Ball</span> is a double hulled sphere, with one ball inside the other with an air layer in between. This acts as a shock absorber for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Zorbanout</span>, leveling out bumps while traveling. It also allows for a much more light-weight <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Zorb</span> Ball</span> made of flexible plastic, as opposed to the rigid plastic of a hamster ball. Many <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Zorb's</span> have straps to hold the rider in place, while others leave the rider free to walk the sphere around or be tossed about freely by the rolling motion. A typical spheres is about 9 feet across, with an inner sphere size of about 6 feet, leaving a 30 inch air cushion around the rides. The plastic is approximately 0.8 mm thick. The inner and outer sphere are connected by numerous (often hundreds) of small ropes. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Zorb</span> Balls</span> generally have one or two tunnel-like entrances. The plastic used is affected by temperature, so spheres cannot be used when temperatures fall below approximately 30 degrees.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-86291136176539937752008-02-25T09:48:00.001-05:002008-02-25T09:50:54.620-05:00Have You Got The "Zorb " BallsSo it may cost you anywhere from $20.00-$35.00 to feel like a hamster , but the question is: Do you have the Balls? <br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://broadbandsports.com/flv/bbs-xplayer.swf?n=1976"></param><param name="flashvars" value="nid=.1976"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://broadbandsports.com/flv/bbs-xplayer.swf?n=1976" width="425" height="350" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" flashvars="nid=.1976"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-38316964976520244302008-02-25T09:34:00.002-05:002008-02-25T09:37:08.037-05:00Zorbing In TennesseeHere is some YouTube footage of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb Ball</span> in action down at the Zorb location in the Volunteer State.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vGVIvvdBTYY&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vGVIvvdBTYY&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-39387122911320467332008-02-23T19:31:00.002-05:002008-02-23T19:38:45.326-05:00Zorbing In AmericaThe <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Zorb</span> Ball</span> Has Made It To America!<br /><br />To be more precise, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Tucked away in the Great Smoky Mountains is a unique brand of excitement that originated in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">KiwiLand</span>, it's the new extreme sport of <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Zorbing</span></span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Zorb</span></span> Smoky Mountains offers two types of <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Zorb</span></span> rides, both very different. The Harness <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Zorb</span></span> ride calls for the passenger to be strapped inside the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Zorb</span></span> with a harness. The result — very often a feeling of weightlessness as the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Zorb</span> Ball</span> rolls downhill. During the Hydro <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Zorb</span> ride, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Zorbonauts</span> remain unharnessed but share the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Zorb</span></span> with a bucket of water, creating a very slippery ride. Up to three people can ride inside a <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Zorb</span></span> ball. There is also a <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Zorb</span></span> experience expressly designed for children under age six.<br /><br />For information: <a href="http://www.zorb.com/smoky/index.html" target="_blank">www.zorb.com/smoky/index.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-54490985159293496272008-02-23T15:41:00.002-05:002008-02-23T15:51:35.957-05:00Will Zorbing Be Bigger Than Bungee Jumping?<span style="font-weight: bold;">Well, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Zorb</span> Ltd. the inventors of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Zorb</span> Ball hopes so.</span><br /><br />New Zealand gave the world bungee jumping, which turned its inventor into a multimillionaire. Now, from the country of Kiwis, comes another bizarre but lucrative pastime: <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Zorbing</span></span>. Participants, called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">zorbonauts</span>, roll down hills at speeds of up to 25 mph while strapped inside large transparent <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Zorb</span> Balls</span>.<br /><br />The first U.S. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Zorbing</span></span> site is set to open this month in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., a Knoxville-area resort town that brought in more than $750 million from tourists last year. For about $30, <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Zorb</span></span> Smoky Mountains visitors will enjoy maximum G-force while tumbling head over heels in a <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Zorb</span> Ball</span> for a mere 30 seconds. The more adventurous customers can try hydro-<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Zorbing</span></span>, in which the rider wears no harness but is cushioned by 4 gallons of water.<br /><br />The company has eight sites worldwide and aims to franchise up to 10 more in the United States. The next site planned for the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Zorb</span> Ball</span> is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Las</span> Vegas, Nevada.<br /><br />"<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Zorbing</span></span> will <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">definitely</span> be bigger than bungee jumping," says Courtney <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Skinn</span>, marketing manager at <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Zorb</span></span> USA. "Factors like age won't eliminate people from trying it out."<br /><br />One thing is for certain, no matter what your age, once inside the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Zorb</span> Ball</span> things will start rolling.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-62900753308527007962008-02-22T09:44:00.002-05:002008-02-22T09:48:54.523-05:00Zorb Ball FranchiseWould you like to own your own <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorbing</span> franchise? Both <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span> Limited and SphereMania are offering franchise opporitunities. Zorb Limited says that they are interested in “working with landowners, investors, and developers to build quality zorb sites.” It could be a very cool business opportunity – just keep in mind that <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span> Limited expects the total investment will be roughly $1.5 to $2 million per park.<br />So if the thought of watching laughing people rolling down hills in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb Balls</span> entertains you or if you have a million or two laying around, then this is for you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-53494546978346546102008-02-22T09:37:00.002-05:002008-02-22T09:42:37.913-05:00Are You Ready To Zorb?While getting your own <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Zorb</span> Ball</span> may be a little difficult (unless you are an authorized site), there are a couple locations you can visit to hop in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ol</span>' <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Zorb</span> Ball</span> and get <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">rollin</span>. There are currently two parks in the U.S. where you can get your <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Zorb</span></span> on. One, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is affiliated with <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Zorb</span></span> Limited and scheduled to open this year. The other in Brighton, Michigan, is affiliated with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">SphereMania</span>. Both companies have parks around the globe, so you can schedule a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">zorb</span> experience into your next vacation. Prices vary from park to park, but plan on spending around $20 per ride in the U.S.<br /><br />Neither one of these companies sells their equipment to the general public, for safety reasons. However, other companies have created their own version of the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Zorb</span> Ball</span> and are cashing in on it – you just need come up with $2,000 to $3,000 to buy one. If you do decide to splurge on your own life-sized hamster ball, be safe and keep your eye on the... well, just try not to puke.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-84994994115245186382008-02-19T15:14:00.001-05:002008-02-19T15:17:02.450-05:00Zorb In AmericaWell, in the Great Smoky Mountains, to be exact. Which is only 30 miles southeast of Knoxville Tennessee. The Smoky Mountains <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span> location is planned to open sometime in 2008.<br /><p>If you want to try and contact <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb’s</span> Smoky Mountain location try the following information:</p> <p>Zorb Smoky Mountains<br />203 Sugar Hollow Road<br />Pigeon Forge, TN 37863<br />smoky@zorb.com<br />1.865.428.2422 </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-63475003538718168602008-02-19T15:09:00.002-05:002008-02-19T15:12:28.312-05:00Have A Ball In A Zorb!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gigywCbtQ0g/R7s4CrRlFoI/AAAAAAAAAPo/UGHU0wwzFfA/s1600-h/asset_small.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gigywCbtQ0g/R7s4CrRlFoI/AAAAAAAAAPo/UGHU0wwzFfA/s320/asset_small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168786615965128322" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p>If you have ever wished you could walk on water or effortlessly cartwheel down a mountain range, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span> will fulfill your dreams. This latest extreme sport, which already has a cult following in New Zealand, will arrive in the United States this summer. </p> <p>A <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span> is a huge round clear polyvinyl chloride inflatable ball that looks much like a giant soap bubble. It weighs 200 pounds and spans 10.5 feet in diameter. It has two skins--one inside the other. A person stands inside the smaller skin, or what would be the yoke of an egg, and is suspended by a cushion of air 2 feet off the ground. </p> <p>“They put you inside the ball and tell you to run like a hamster to pick up some momentum,” said Andrew Peter Spencer, a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span> aficionado. </p> <p>After a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span> is launched down a hill, it can hit speeds of up to 31 mph. Securely cocooned inside the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span>, the person tumbles, flips and slides back and forth like a rag doll during the three-minute ride. </p> <p>“All of a sudden you’re all over the place doing cartwheels and getting completely disoriented. It’s awesome,” said Spencer, a 21-year-old Vermont native who currently studies at Massey Palmerston North University in New Zealand. </p> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorbing</span> is a rite of passage for people in New Zealand, said Spencer, who enjoys other extreme sports like sprint car racing and bungee jumping. “You have to be a bit of a risk taker to go <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorbing</span>. It gives you bragging rights.” </p> <p>So far no one has died from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorbing</span>, according to Lizzie Dean, a spokeswoman for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span> Ltd., which makes the human-size hamster balls. The company is based in New Zealand but has franchises in more than a dozen countries, including Argentina and Hungary. </p> <p>“It’s not a dangerous sport,” Dean said. “It’s a lot of fun. You laugh all the way down the hill, and you keep laughing afterward.” She added, “We've had over 100,000 Zorbonauts and not a single one has even vomited inside the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span>.” </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-90919866638712249402008-02-19T15:06:00.001-05:002008-02-19T15:07:57.307-05:00World's Longest Zorb Roll<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">So what was the longest Zorb Ball roll in the world?</span></p> </span> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial;">On November 09, 2006 in New Zealand Steve Camp rolled down a hill in a Zorb.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Arial;">His roll covered a dizzying 570 meters, giving him the honor of the longest Zorb Ball roll ever.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-39674730718233121462008-02-09T18:42:00.000-05:002008-02-09T18:54:55.360-05:00Zorb: Making You Feel Like A Hamster<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gigywCbtQ0g/R649PrRlFQI/AAAAAAAAAL8/nvkki7ZO8EQ/s1600-h/asset_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gigywCbtQ0g/R649PrRlFQI/AAAAAAAAAL8/nvkki7ZO8EQ/s320/asset_small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165133162164327682" border="0" /></a><br />Have you ever wanted to know what your hamster friend felt like as he was running around in a little plastic ball? Well now you can! It's called a Zorb, and it is the latest craze sweeping the planet.<br /><br />Basically, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span> is a huge round clear polyvinyl chloride inflatable ball that looks much like a giant soap bubble. It weighs 200 pounds and spans 10.5 feet in diameter. It has two skins--one inside the other. A person stands inside the smaller skin, or what would be the yoke of an egg, and is suspended by a cushion of air 2 feet off the ground.<br /><br />Once you are rolling down a hill, you can reach speeds of up 31 mph. Alternatively, a Zorbonaut can opt for “hydro-Zorbing,” which involves adding a bucket of water into the ball and letting it slosh around as the Zorb revolves. Although a water Zorb is often compared to a zealous washing machine, it only rotates once every 32 feet.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-61780924128515944052008-02-09T18:39:00.000-05:002008-02-09T18:41:16.331-05:00Zorb in HollywoodJackie Chan has a ride in a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span> in the movie Operation Condor.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mI7vz9Bd664&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mI7vz9Bd664&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-61565858810690135522008-02-09T18:37:00.000-05:002008-02-09T18:38:33.090-05:00Zorb RidingA video on the art of <span style="font-weight: bold;">zorbing</span>, try not to vomit.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tbxwsgn94yM&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tbxwsgn94yM&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4979167386955985729.post-17421758565469785252008-02-09T18:24:00.000-05:002008-02-09T18:35:41.744-05:00What is Zorb?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gigywCbtQ0g/R644nbRlFPI/AAAAAAAAALw/q3Crli-61As/s1600-h/Zorb+Triple+Hydro.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 239px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gigywCbtQ0g/R644nbRlFPI/AAAAAAAAALw/q3Crli-61As/s320/Zorb+Triple+Hydro.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5165128072628081906" border="0" /></a><br /><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span> balls have two transparent skins which are connected together by wires and a tunnel by which the riders enter the ball. Air is inflated between the skins which forms a cushion to protect the riders from injury.<br /></p> <p>Like Bungee jumping, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span> was started <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> in New Zealand in 1995 by Andrew Akers and Dwane van der Sluis who called the balls ‘<span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorbs</span>’. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorbing</span> went commercial in New Zealand where it was developed into 3 forms:</p> <ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorbing</span> with water involves water being added inside the ball along with single or multiple participants. The riders then run or slide inside the ball as it rolls downhill.</li><li>Riders can also be harnessed inside a ball without water, and then they are rotated with the ball as it roll downhill.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorbing</span> can also be done on water where the balls float on water and the riders have to walk inside to move the balls.</li></ol> <p>Apart from the original company (Zorb New Zealand), a number of other products for Zorbing have started around the world, such as ‘Spheremania’, ‘Downhill Revolution’ and ‘Orb 360’ and many companies now offer Zorbing balls for sale.</p> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorbing</span> entered the Concise Oxford English Dictionary in 2001 where it was defined as: “a sport in which a participant is secured inside an inner capsule in a large, transparent ball which is then rolled along the ground or down hills”.</p> <p>The Guinness Book of World Records recognizes 2 <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorbing</span> records:</p> <p>Longest zorbing ride held by Steve Camp who travelled 12,850 meters (7.984 miles) in 2006.</p> <p>Fastest zorbing ride held by Keith Kolver who reached a speed of 52 km per hour (32.3 miles per hour) in 2006.</p> <p>Zorbing has been shown in episodes of Wildboyz, Celebrity Fit Club, Road Rules, The Amazing Race, Globe Trekker, and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! as well as the Jackie Chan film Armour of God II: Operation Condor. It has even been presented in animation for the telefilm Race Across Canada. One of the contestants on an episode of Jeopardy! mentioned zorbing as a pastime. Zorbing is also featured in a commercial for the Toyota Sequoia, a large SUV. The "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Zorb</span>" logo can be clearly seen in the commercial.</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0