Zorb inventors rolling in it

By ELLEN READ

An adventure sport invented by a small Rotorua company has become so successful that it's made its way into the dictionary ...

Zorbing: a sport in which a participant is secured inside an inner capsule inside a large, transparent ball which is then rolled along the ground or down hills. Origin 1990s: invented word from zorb, the name of the ball used in this activity. - Concise Oxford English Dictionary.

The latest zorb - made to look like a pumpkin - was completed this week and is on its way to wow the crowds at Euro Disney's Halloween celebration.

Invented almost 10 years ago by Andrew Akers and Dwane van der Sluis, zorbing is now a global business with agents and franchisees in many countries.

The pair spent several months trying different designs and techniques until a combination of a sphere each had come up with gave the idea of the double skin which proved successful.

After patenting the original design and name, they set about finding business partners to bankroll the operation and teach them the business side of things.

Fifteen people are now employed in New Zealand.

Safety concerns mean that zorbs are not sold to individuals - they can be supplied only for promotional purposes or to an approved franchisee.

And with the price tag of several thousand dollars, it's not exactly a piece of backyard sports equipment anyway.

David Akers, Andrew's brother and the head of research for the company, said the aim was to set up zorb destinations around the world where people could use them in a properly supervised and safe environment.

So far more than 200 zorbs have rolled out from the company's Rotorua factory, the most famous to date being used by English singer Peter Gabriel on a tour of North America. Zorbs are also popular with major companies for branding and marketing stunts.

Hydro-zorbing is the latest development.

The passenger is not strapped in but left to flail about as the zorb floats across water.

Akers said zorbing was enjoyed by people of all ages. As for the future, although the company says it is working on developments, the next likely event is the establishment of some type of team sport involving zorbs.

Zorb