Zorbing is one of those activities in which it is almost impossible not to have a fantastic amount of fun, regardless of whether you are walking on water, competing against yourself or a buddy on an obstacle course, or rolling downhill.
Zorb balls are big balls made of flexible plastic that is inflated and designed to allow a person to crawl inside of them. It’s essentially a human-sized version of a giant inflatable hamster ball, except unlike the rodent version, this one doesn’t have a rigid exterior. They may be used on a variety of surfaces, including water, grass, snow, and ice.
Ingenious “zorbers” have devised a wide variety of entertaining games that may be played using zorb balls. Zorb sumo wrestling, Zorb ball soccer, water zorbing, and various water activities, and more… People have been quite inventive in the ways that they utilize zorb balls, and we are really only starting to understand how much potential it is for them to be used in enjoyable activities.
Zorbing has been included in a variety of well-known online videos and television shows, such as this one on YouTube that demonstrates the Magnus effect with a zorb ball. They are becoming somewhat of a phenomenon in contemporary popular culture. And the more people are made aware of them, both through social media and other channels, the greater their popularity will become. In addition, each flexible plastic ball that you rent out as a product for your rental company has the potential to bring in enormous revenues for the firm.
The origins of zorbing
Despite their novel appearance, bubble balls have been available to the public for purchase for over twenty years. They have also existed as an idea for far longer.
In 1975, French architect Gilles Ebersolt designed the first human-sized inflatable ball. Ebersolt, who was just a youngster when he came up with the concept, produced a ball that he termed his “Ballule” (French for “Bubble”) (French for “Bubble”). The Ballule was pressurised in the same way as current zorb balls are, except it employed inverted vacuum cleaners for the job.
Despite having his innovation, the Ballule, featured on international television in the 1970s and 1980s and being registered with the Conseil de Prud’hommes, Ebersolt never marketed it commercially.
In the 1991 film Operation Condor, Jackie Chan does a daring stunt in which he slides down the side of a mountain inside an inflatable ball. It’s uncertain if Chan utilised one of Ebersolt’s Ballules or whether his special effects crew made one … or if Chan was even inside the ball as it plummeted down the mountain (please never, ever attempt this, guys) (please never, ever try this, folks).
In the early ’90s, American Gladiators included a game called “Atlasphere,” in which contestants had to roll about inside of hard human hamster balls. Bumper ball was an intense competition where players tried to score by rolling their balls into designated locations while “gladiators” tried to stop them. But they weren’t really the same as a Ballule; they had hard, inflexible frames and were more like a cage than a bubble.
The “zorb ball” moniker derives from Andrew Akers and Dwayne van der Sluis of Rotorua, New Zealand, who formed the firm Zorb Limited in 1994. The Zorb firm invented the world’s first commercial human hamster ball, as well as the first zorbing park.
Creative use of a zorb ball
The terms “zorb ball” and “zorbing” were popularised by Akers and van der Sluis, but the design was really developed by Gilles Ebersolt some twenty or so years before. Not much has changed about them since then, either.
The concept behind a zorb ball is straightforward (though a bit harder to manufacture, of course). It consists mostly of a single vinyl or PVC ball wrapped within a second, bigger ball. Numerous thin nylon ropes link all of the balls together. Then, a professional blower is used to fill the outer ball with air.
The user crawls via a tube into the interior ball. The balls can have either one or two entryways. A “donut,” an extra inflatable that plugs up the entry tubes, can be used to block off either the front or back door.
The zorb ball, when unplugged, may be utilized on a wide variety of terrains, including grass, ice, snow, hills, and more (just be careful not to get it scuffed up on pavement). With a donut in the centre, the zorb ball is completely watertight and safe to use on water. For even more excitement, some water-zorbing fans fill their balls with water, but only enough to make a little splash.
There is a possibility that the mania for zorb balls may become “the next big thing” in the event rental market. And as the technology behind zorb balls continues to advance over time, the rental market will continue to grow. Therefore, the question that you might want to ask yourself is this: how much longer should your event rentals or party rentals company wait before jumping on the bandwagon of zorb balls?
The zorbing games
Within a short time after zorb balls’ introduction, creative uses were being devised by its users. In recent years, Zorb parks have sprouted up all over the world (including a handful in the United States), usually housing a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities aimed at families.
Rolling down a steep slope inside an inflatable ball is a simple yet thrilling pastime that has gained widespread popularity. That’s pretty much all, I guess. And you wouldn’t believe how much pleasure it is to slide downhill—it’ll blow your mind.
The concept of downhill rides and attractions can be found in the vast majority of theme parks and “gravity parks” worldwide. Don’t worry if there isn’t a gravity park in your area; a grassy hill with a slight incline will do just fine (but be careful). Zorbing should be possible on most sledding slopes throughout the winter.
Zorb Balls are an excellent rental option for birthday parties, especially those held at a pool. The popularity of zorbing is skyrocketing.
Zorb ball wrestling is another well-liked sport in which two “combatants” roll into one other, often on a track, and try to knock each other out of an allotted area. It’s like sumo wrestling but performed in hamster balls.
Zorb ball soccer is gaining popularity, and not only as a harmless pastime. Zorb soccer, also called “zorb ball football” outside the United States, is a variant of the sport in which participants move soccer balls about the field while sprinting and rolling inside inflatable balls. There was even a “Bubble Football World Cup” in 2018.
There will soon be a zorb ball revolution. So, how prepared do you feel?
In 2001, only a few years after the term “zorbing” was first used, it was included in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary. In addition, this proves the worldwide popularity of the commercial human-filled inflatable ball.
Zorbing has had explosive development internationally, but it wasn’t until lately that it caught on in North America. A spate of online videos and TV appearances helped bring widespread attention to the zorb ball in this country. It wasn’t lost on them, though; they definitely weren’t overlooked.
There appears to be a growing demand for human hamster balls across a number of regions in North America. For this reason, it’s not shocking that many established companies renting for parties and events are purchasing them now. It’s not just that they’re entertaining recreational items, but also that they may be rented out for a profit.
These entertaining orbs have been around for quite some time, so we know they’re here to stay. And despite a few unlucky mishaps with them over the years, enough time has passed that we can confidently say these goods are generally fairly safe (often due to human error). So, as long as you live in a market that is willing to give them a try, they are incredibly solid investments for a rental business.
The popularity of zorbing is only expected to grow. Is there a game that can be played on grass or in a pool that people of all ages would enjoy? The opportunity to play a game of that caliber is rare. Purchasing zorb balls is a sensible business move for event rental companies if their owners have the expertise to make the most of them. If you’re looking for the top sports and toy store, Kameymall is the place to go. Let’s be honest: some of you wish you could give it a go and ride one yourself.
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