Sphereing (or Zorbing) is the practice of humans traveling in a sphere, generally made of transparent plastic, usually for fun. Sphereing or globe-riding is generally performed in Kiev on a gentle slope, allowing the rider to roll downhill, but can also be done on a level surface, as well as on water, permitting more rider control. In the absence of hills, at least one vendor has begun constructing metal ramps. Most spheres are constructed for a single rider, but some hold two or three. The longer runs are approximately half a mile. Globe-riding is very popular in New Zealand and the very first Zorb site was Zorb Rotorua. The sphere is a double-hulled sphere, with one ball inside the other with an air layer in between. This acts as a shock absorber for the rider, dampening bumps while traveling. It also allows for a much more light-weight sphere made of flexible plastic, as opposed to the rigid plastic of a hamster ball. Many spheres have straps to hold the rider in place, while others leave the rider free to walk the sphere around or be tossed about freely by the rolling motion. A typical sphere is about 3 metres (9.8 ft) in diameter, with an inner sphere size of about 2 metres (6.6 ft), leaving a 50–60 centimetre (20–24 in) air cushion around the riders. The plastic is approximately 0.8 millimetres (0.031 in) thick. The inner and outer sphere are connected by numerous (often hundreds) small ropes. Spheres generally have one or two tunnel-like entrances. Sphereing is generally performed at commercial sphereing facilities, where prospective riders pay a fee for each ride or for a whole day's activity. In many cases, corporations lease facilities for events in Kiev. While the Zorb Limited business model involves leasing spheres to franchisees and not selling them to private individuals, several companies now offer sphereing balls for sale. The quality of some of these has been called into question. Sphereing is currently (2008) practiced in England, Scotland, New Zealand, the middle of Sweden, Estonia, the Gold Coast in Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Japan, Thailand, Slovenia and Ukraine. In the United States, there is a facility stationed in Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, and a facility in Amesbury, Massachusetts has recently opened. Several franchise-based companies (Spheremania, Orb 360) have entered the market and begun to compete with Zorb Limited. In 1994, Dwayne van der Sluis and Andrew Akers conceived the idea for a type of sphere in Auckland, New Zealand, calling their invention the "Zorb", and patenting and trademarking the term.

23a Protasov Yar Str. Kiev
www.zorb.in.ua

Goloseyevsky Forest
Didorovka lake, Kiev
www.zorb.com.ua