17 Places in the World Where You Can Ride a Zorb
Posted on February 12, 2014 by
Does the idea of hurtling down a hill inside a plastic sphere like some sort of hamster/astronaut excite you? If so, then you should try Zorbing if you ever have the chance.
Zorbing is an activity where one or more (usually no more than 3) people ride downhill in an inflated, transparent sphere. The sphere has another inner sphere inside, connected together by hundreds of small ropes with an air gap between to provide cushion for the occupants. Riders climb inside the inner sphere through an opening. The two varieties of rides are dry vs. wet. In a dry ride, the riders are secured against the walls of the sphere by a harness, and will rotate along with the orb. In a wet (or hydro) ride, several gallons of water are poured inside with the riders, who are not harnessed and will slide around freely inside the ball as it moves.
The sport originated in New Zealand in the 1990s. The company that invented the sport own the trademark "ZORB" for the name of the sphere, but the name Zorbing has become an official name of the sport, and has even been added to the Oxford Dictionary. However, the sport is also known by other names such as orbing, sphereing, globe-riding, or freeballing. Zorbing is offered at a small, but growing, number of facilities around the world. Some are owned or franchised by ZORB New Zealand, who have strict safety and operational guidelines. The facilities construct channels and/or barriers to control the path of the orb.
Water versions have also appeared, with single-hulls. These present additional hazards due to the possibility of suffocation, drowning in cases where the ball is punctured, or injuries due to less padding around the user. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently investigating the water products. Other water-specific versions have since been created that are more like cylinder versions of Zorbs, with thicker hulls and openings on both sides. These seem to address many of the hazards presented by the single-hull water balls. While Zorbing is generally safe, as with many adrenaline sports there is always a risk of injury or death. Very few deaths have occurred while Zorbing - one in Russia due to the orb losing control and crashing into rocks, and another in Czech Republic from a passenger who died of dehydration from vomiting for several days due to nausea. Many facility owners state that dizziness is minimal, and that they never had a rider get sick after a ride. Reputable facilities will monitor weather conditions and not allow rides if wind or weather is too dangerous.
Below is a list of the facilities offering Zorb rides that we are currently aware of. Please let us know if we missed any, and leave comments and ratings if you have visited any of these Zorb operators. We will update the list on the Xploritall Zorb page. As an Xploritall member, you can add Zorbing to your interests and be notified of news and new locations relating to Zorbing (Join now).
Zorb Ekopool Celje (Runtole, Celje)
Madtrax Mayhem (Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Scotland)
Go Zorbing London (Whyteleafe, Surrey)
Eagle Falls Ranch (Eminence, Missouri)
ZipZorb (New Florence, Missouri)
Ski Roundtop (Lewisberry, Pennsylvania)
ZORB Smoky Mountain (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)
Zorbing is an activity where one or more (usually no more than 3) people ride downhill in an inflated, transparent sphere. The sphere has another inner sphere inside, connected together by hundreds of small ropes with an air gap between to provide cushion for the occupants. Riders climb inside the inner sphere through an opening. The two varieties of rides are dry vs. wet. In a dry ride, the riders are secured against the walls of the sphere by a harness, and will rotate along with the orb. In a wet (or hydro) ride, several gallons of water are poured inside with the riders, who are not harnessed and will slide around freely inside the ball as it moves.
The sport originated in New Zealand in the 1990s. The company that invented the sport own the trademark "ZORB" for the name of the sphere, but the name Zorbing has become an official name of the sport, and has even been added to the Oxford Dictionary. However, the sport is also known by other names such as orbing, sphereing, globe-riding, or freeballing. Zorbing is offered at a small, but growing, number of facilities around the world. Some are owned or franchised by ZORB New Zealand, who have strict safety and operational guidelines. The facilities construct channels and/or barriers to control the path of the orb.
Water versions have also appeared, with single-hulls. These present additional hazards due to the possibility of suffocation, drowning in cases where the ball is punctured, or injuries due to less padding around the user. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently investigating the water products. Other water-specific versions have since been created that are more like cylinder versions of Zorbs, with thicker hulls and openings on both sides. These seem to address many of the hazards presented by the single-hull water balls. While Zorbing is generally safe, as with many adrenaline sports there is always a risk of injury or death. Very few deaths have occurred while Zorbing - one in Russia due to the orb losing control and crashing into rocks, and another in Czech Republic from a passenger who died of dehydration from vomiting for several days due to nausea. Many facility owners state that dizziness is minimal, and that they never had a rider get sick after a ride. Reputable facilities will monitor weather conditions and not allow rides if wind or weather is too dangerous.
Below is a list of the facilities offering Zorb rides that we are currently aware of. Please let us know if we missed any, and leave comments and ratings if you have visited any of these Zorb operators. We will update the list on the Xploritall Zorb page. As an Xploritall member, you can add Zorbing to your interests and be notified of news and new locations relating to Zorbing (Join now).
GUAM
ZORB Guam (Yona)INDIA
Ski Himalayas (Burwa, Himachal Pradesh)JAPAN
Ikawa X Park (Miyoshi-shi, Tokushima Prefecture)NEW ZEALAND
ZORB Rotorua (Rotorua, Bay of Plenty)PHILIPPINES
Ride the Zorb! (Boracay Island, Aklan)SLOVENIA
Zorb Slovenija (Bohinjska Bela, Bled)Zorb Ekopool Celje (Runtole, Celje)
SWEDEN
Zorb SwedenTHAILAND
Rollerball Phuket (Patong, Phuket)UNITED KINGDOM
Orbzorbing (Manningtree, Essex)Madtrax Mayhem (Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Scotland)
Go Zorbing London (Whyteleafe, Surrey)
UNITED STATES
Amesbury Sports Park (Amesbury, Massachusetts)Eagle Falls Ranch (Eminence, Missouri)
ZipZorb (New Florence, Missouri)
Ski Roundtop (Lewisberry, Pennsylvania)
ZORB Smoky Mountain (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)
