Zorbing - America 's Newest Extreme Sport Starts This Summer

There has been a thrill ride unlike any other taking place in New Zealand since the 1980s, and just like the spread of other thrill-seeker pursuits, such as bungee jumping or bridge climbing, the activity has slowly been spreading across the world. Zorbing, or the act of rolling down a big hill inside a giant ball, has jumped from New Zealand to Australia to England to China to Argentina, and has, as recently as last year, finally rolled into the United States.

Last summer, Mt. Brighton Ski Area in Michigan allotted a large skiing hill to the summer time activity, though they called it Sphering, and this year, Zorbing will become better known to the American public when it hits one of the most popular tourist spots in the states.

Zorb Smoky Mountains will open in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, not far from Dollywood, some time this year, though the date is still uncertain. The owners of the coming park are dealing with the state permit issues that might be expected when trying to open a park of this kind. Though Zorb Smoky Mountains was meant to open last month, more than likely the park's opening will be delayed until at least mid-summer. So, while you are waiting for the activity to become available in the Tennessee area, here is the information you'll need to prepare yourself for the coming attraction.

What exactly happens when you Zorb?

Well, first you crawl into a great big see-through ball of plastic, and get strapped in tight so that you don't bounce around inside it like a pinball. Then, you ask yourself why on earth you would be doing something like this, as someone gives you a push and you start rolling down an intentionally steep hill at approximately twenty-five miles per hour.

When you reach the bottom, you are released to wander about the grassy knoll like a drunk stumbling out of a bar after a three-day bender.

If you live on the Pacific Coast, and can't make it to the Dollywood area for your Zorbing fun, there is also hope of opening a Zorbing park in the Las Vegas area of Nevada. This will take away the East Coast advantage in the ball-rolling-down-a-hill market.

Thrill-seekers who have gone Zorbing in the countries where it is available have likened the experience to a roller coaster, only more intense. Inside the great plastic ball, you are the lone passenger, and once you are strapped in and given a push, there is no getting out until it's over, so you better be sure it is something that you want to do before you climb in. And you might want to go to the bathroom first.