Russia zorbing thrill ride turns tragic

An image from the Russia Today television program shows two men careening down a snow-covered mountain in southern Russia in a zorb, before the inflatable ball veered off course and plummeted over a precipice. / RussiaToday

MOSCOW What was supposed to be a thrilling ride down a ski slope inside a giant inflatable ball has ended in tragedy for the two Russian men inside.

One died and the other was badly injured when the transparent plastic ball — called a zorb — veered off course and sailed over a precipice in the rugged Caucasus Mountains of southern Russia.

The men's terrifying ride — captured on video — prompted the head of the national emergency rescue services Wednesday to demand that Russia address its lax enforcement of safety rules for winter sports, citing a series of accidents over the January holidays.

The sport of zorbing originated in the 1990s in New Zealand and is now done around the world.

[Type_Z]

I seriously saw rides for kids inside a plastic sphere that were filled with air. One child per plastic ball. The kids were then put in a shallow pool where they rolled around. This was indoors and just a few days ago.

The kids were observed closely but just a little bizarre in my mind.

[DONTKILLCOPS]

I would ask that all people viewing this tragedy to take a online glimpse of the ski resort mountain layout where this deadly accident occurred. Skiers ride up over steep, steep mountainsides where there is no skiing AND then take lift rides up over the shoulders of the mountain where safe skiing is possible. This poor ZORB duo went down over the high up ski slope area and THEN CONTINUED ONWARD TO WHERE THE MOUNTAIN TERRAIN FELL OFF IN CLIFF-LIKE SHEER WALLS. It was like skiing on the roof of a three story house and then tumbling off the roof straight down ... only multiplied hundreds of times. The "G" forces on that ZORB must have been incredible for the passenger's internal organs.

[gallbladder]

HA HA HA HA!

That's beautiful!

Off a cliff in a giant hamster ball!

I would have LOVED to have seen them hit! To bad there's no video of that.

[erasmus111]

Well, I hope if one of your unstable fellow citizens/neighbors with a gun, shoots you, it's on video too. I'd love to see that!

Idiot.

[HobartSchmenge]

A lot of questions about this:
1. How many times have people 'zorbed' on that particular slope?
2. Why were no precautions taken to protect skiers from getting wiped out by the zorb, or did that not occur to anyone?
3. Did nobody take into account the simple physics surrounding a round object in motion on a slanted surface that ultimately/obviously led to a precipice?
4. Has anyone over there ever heard of barricades?

[erasmus111]

3. Did nobody take into account the simple physics surrounding a round object in motion on a slanted surface that ultimately/obviously led to a precipice?


Yeah, really!

Like, wouldn't it bounce?

And even if there was a barricade, it would have to be pretty high.

[flexsf]

Yeah! De-regulate!

[mecury69]

How can you have a 'sport' that requires absolutely no skill?

Don't know who applied that term to this recreational activity but it is incorrect.

[HobartSchmenge]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racewalking

[workerdroid]

Life is tough enough. It's even tougher when your stupid.

[lorne46]

It would be a sport if you had some control over the zorb. But you don't, so it is not a sport. It is a suicide ride.

[rwsmith29456]

Yeah, where it is going is decided by nature and if it goes off course, there is no brake or steering wheel to stop it or put it back on track.

[erasmus111]

When Russia showed a preview of their Winter Olympics, weren't there some of those balls? I recall seeing some with people inside them.

It says the sport originated in the 1990s, and is now done around the world, but I have never heard of it before.

[tireslinger]

Perhaps their storage of common sense was frozen, in Russia's climate...I feel for their families.

[erasmus111]

Yeah? So what is the reason for half your populations lack of common sense when it comes to your gun issues and the thousands of people dying from gunshot wounds? Just curious.

[workerdroid]

Hey Tireslinger, it looks like erassmus needs a diaper change.