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Games Entertainment

Zorb - Inflatable Human Hamster ball 110

Posted by Roblimo from the suddenly-balling-has-a-whole-new-meaning dept.
Xyloc the Stone writes "The ZORB has got to be the coolest product ever made. It's an inflatable human sized hamster ball. Kinda like in the movie 'The Avengers'. I want one, only problem is, where I go to school, BIG FREAKIN HILL. uh, I'll have to try anyway" Hmmm. AFAIK there is no official toy for Slashdot staff members. Yet. Wonder how much these things cost and if we can talk Andover into buying us one. Hmmmm again.
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Zorb - Inflatable Human Hamster ball More

Zorb - Inflatable Human Hamster ball

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  • I saw that on TV one time, on MTV's Road Rules. It actually looked like a lot of fun getting a bunch of them together, like a really evil game of hampster bumper-cars.

    ---
    "Why do you keep reloading Slashdot?" - User Friendly
  • The hell with Dreamcast, get me one of those suckers. Anyone find a price?

    It looks very expensive.
  • So it's really really cool. I'll grant that. However, I saw pics of people using them in wave pools at water parks and stuff....wouldn't it be relatively easy for water to shlop down into the entrance hole and drown someone? what if the damn thing popped? You'd NEVER get out.

    Not to say that the prospect frightens me. I still want one, I'm just pointing out some stuff that occurred to me.

    First Post (i theenks)
    -Andy Martin
  • Noone escapes the village.

  • We have a number of designs and methods for Zorb retrieval depending upon your specific location and needs. Please contact us for further information.

    Aye! I've rolled off into the sea! Retrieve me!

    (Seriously... is that what they meant?)

  • Re:Cool (Score:3)

    by Millennium ( 2451 ) on Wednesday September 29, 1999 @07:06PM (#1649539)
    wouldn't it be relatively easy for water to shlop down into the entrance hole and drown someone?

    Not really. If you keep the hole facing down, no more than a few drops will get in (and then only by splashing) and what gets in will drain out the bottom. You could also, I'd imagine, use a two-hole Zorb for that purpose; you'd get a lot wetter but because the Zorb floats you could always get one entrance above water and breathe.

    what if the damn thing popped? You'd NEVER get out.

    It looked to me like there was some kind of an internal frame. Not much when the weight of a person is put on it, but probably enough to hold the exit holes open.

    As for me, I want a two-entrance, two-harness one of these. But, cruel as the designers of the Website are, they didn't say how you could buy one :.(
  • Well they wouldn't load w/ a plugin, so here are the URLs for others w/ problems:

    http://www.zorb.com/Images/Video/original_test.a vi
    http://www.zorb.com/Images/Video/harnessed2.avi
    http://www.zorb.com/Images/Video/hydro_zorb2.avi
    http://www.zorb.com/Images/Video/Simpsons.avi
    http://www.zorb.com/Images/Video/Austria_1.avi
    http://www.zorb.com/Images/Video/Austria_2.avi
    http://www.zorb.com/Images/Video/Austria_3.avi

    Someone should post a mirror before that site gets Slashdotted.
  • He used it at the beginning of his movie "First Strike". If you haven't seen that movie, he uses the ZORB to escape some natives that are after him. He ends up rolling down either a mountain, or huge hill. Either way, it was amazing to watch.

    Could this be a new extreme sport? Seeing who can roll down the highest point in a ZORB?

    (offtopic) If you've seen "First Strike", then you've seen some of the cool toys Jackie plays with: The ZORB, the handheld scanner with printout, and the car with no doors. Does anyone know where I could find a car that has the door slide down like that one did?

  • Hee hee.. (Score:4)

    by Kitsune Sushi ( 87987 ) on Wednesday September 29, 1999 @07:10PM (#1649542)

    "Hmmm. AFAIK there is no official toy for Slashdot staff members. Yet."

    Everyone who voted for Hemos the Hamster as their favorite breakfast cereal mascot should be real excited about the possibility of making their vote a reality and ought to back Roblimo up on this one. ;)

  • Hills (Score:1)

    by j ( 2547 )
    only problem is, where I go to school, BIG FREAKIN HILL

    I'd think hills would be the fun bit. Catch a bus in, then at the end of the day inflate your ride home. The adreneline rush would be great for destressing.

  • mirror (Score:2)

    by crayz ( 1056 )
    Here's a mirror of the movies in case the site is Slashdotted:

    http://home.rochester.rr.com/crayz/zorb/

  • LOL (Score:1)

    by crayz ( 1056 )
    check out the simpsons video, the designers obviously are aware of the similarities

  • Want a Zorb? (Score:4)

    by EggDye ( 41297 ) on Wednesday September 29, 1999 @07:20PM (#1649547) Journal
    "You want one?"

    "yeah!"

    "Even if it is really expensive and impractical?"

    "yeah!"

    "Sorry, Zorbs aren't for sale"

    Apparently the Zorb business model does not include selling the Zorbs. Even people who get a Zorb franchise only lease their Zorbs. The Zorb people make their money by bringing Zorbs to various events/meetings/fairs, and then having people ride around in them. I guess that makes sense considering a couple issues that we'd all like to ignore given the fun factor:

    1) They are probably really expensive to buy/maintain/repair.

    2) You really could kill yourself tumbling down the wrong hill, so you need some kind of skilled instructor/Zorb-wrangler to prevent massive liability lawsuits/injuries/death.

    3. Come on folks, even the hamster gets tired of the hamster ball.

    I'm sure Andover.net could have a couple Zorbs brought to the next big convention, huh folks?
  • The Kinder Zorb!
    The Perfect Babysitting Tool!

  • But what if you throw up? (Score:3)

    by JoeShmoe ( 90109 ) <askjoeshmoe@hotmail.com> on Wednesday September 29, 1999 @07:22PM (#1649549)
    Ewww...

    Suddenly the Zorb becomes one giant salad bowl and you are covered in thousand island dressing.

    Seriously...what if this happened at the top of a hill? By the time you reach the bottom, you would probably have passed out from the acrid fumes...that might be dangerous.

    Also, what happens if you are bouncing down a hill and a rock gets in the opening? Severe cits or bruises since you are pretty much pinned to the wall and at the mercy of whatever object is flying around with you.

    All told, this is still a way cool invention. I just don't think it's something I would try.

    - JoeShmoe

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

  • Hey? (Score:5)

    by MattyT ( 13116 ) on Wednesday September 29, 1999 @07:23PM (#1649550) Homepage
    > Wonder how much these things cost and if we
    > can talk Andover into buying us one.

    What, you mean there's not already a category in Slashdot's budget for inflatable plastic devices?

  • I could really, really use one of those handheld scanners!! They're every student's dream! If you have any information about those, please mail me!

  • I saw that on a Jackie Chan movie. I think it was Operation Condor. He used it to escape from some ancient tribe who tried to make him marry a really ugly woman. Take care, Steve
  • It seed in there bisness section that
    thay only leace them. to bad.
  • Question:

    Are the people who are hit by slashdots HREF gun warned ahead of time? I wouldn't expect slashdot to give warning for breaking news from CNN or News.com, but for these non-urgent posts, it could help the people who run the website. I would think the people running the zorb.com are bemoaning the fact they didn't get up ordering info to take advantage of thousands of pageviews by drooling geeks. Plus, they would have the added benefit of trying to make their websites slashdot-effect proof.

    Just a thought.
  • yeah rob, you can buy one since you are a billionare and you own bill gates now..
    *sarcasim*
  • I wrote a few of the guys about buying one and how much to lease one. When I hear back I'll let you guys know...

    Anyway, you can't buy one. I can think of about 15 million Slashdot readers who would shell out big bucks for these little toys.

    I can think of two reasons why they don't sell them:
    The production cost is too much or they don't have sufficient production available to mass market.
    The liability has to be enormous with these things. I would be the first to jump into one, but I can think of many things that can go wrong.

    Oh well, I want one and I hope the lease rate is low. If anything, all the frats on campus will want to rent it from me.

  • How the Hamsters Felt (or how we will feel) (Score:3)

    by Tsian ( 70839 ) on Wednesday September 29, 1999 @07:50PM (#1649559) Homepage
    I remember my hamster in his plastic ball; so excited to be allowed into the "real" world. (mind you at times there were troubles when he encountered the stairs). so what does this have to do with the average slash reader? well in a nutshell...imagine: Presenting the ZORB, the ultimate exploratory tool are you too attached to the computer? Do you continually here references to the "outside" and wonder what it's all about? Is your idea of having a good time taking down a Microsoft Server? Well then the ZORB is for you...it allows you to explore the "outside" world...all the marvels...all the scenery. The ZORB allows you to explore without leaving the sense of security of being seperated from everything else. ----ORDER NOW--- SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED CALL 1-800-BIGBALL for more information "The outside is waiting....are you ready?"
  • Zorbs on a Zorb lease plan - Zorbs are not sold.

    well, i can still lease one, then loose it....
  • I have a feeling CmdrTaco would go for it too . . . (Ref: Hamster Havoc [cmdrtaco.net])
  • I recall a show called "American Gladiators" .. they used steel balls like such .. it's great that there's an inflatable version .. blah blah ..
  • Given the last Linux World Expo, I would have expected that there was...
  • Whatever object is caught in there with you will also be subject to the same laws of physics. IN other words, the rock'll be pinned somewhere too probably.
    Unless it's a really big rock, in which case, how did it get in?

  • Ah, another fine, NZ made product. (Score:2)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Hm.... :) I beleive you can do this just north of Auckland in New Zealand - it was invented (well, patented by, so one assumes....) by a Kiwi - one of my flatmates colegues, even.....

    And, the inventor is a software developer! Could it be a toy by a geek, for geeks? :)

    BTW, if you read the history, DSIR = Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Long, long gone.....
  • IF you read some more, they mention that you can actually buy a ball to plug up an opening if you want it... i can see possibilities of complete-immersion zorbing, with a scuba tank.

    you get in, they fill it up with h2o. they plug it. then you roll down. the extra mass gets you really moving, and you would actually remain in one spot, theoretically, while it rolled down the hill.

    two problems - don't know if it can support the added weight of that much h2o, and if it did, it'd be one hell of a heavy thing to stop at the bottom.

  • It looks like if the outer balloon gets punctured
    then the entire thing deflates - leaving you with
    no padding as you bounce down the hill... use
    only where there are *no* sharp rocks or plants...

    Am I getting old, or does this remind anyone of
    the daredevils who specialized in going over
    Niagara Falls in a barrel... now illegal ( I
    think ) because of several who did not make it...

  • Ok ok (Score:5)

    by Zorb-boy ( 97020 ) on Wednesday September 29, 1999 @08:30PM (#1649570)
    Hehe - ok folks - nice to see all this interest in these babys. Let's see if I can answer your questions: 1. Yeah selling them is a major issue - in the interests of safety and quality and control and all that stuff - we have been setting up Master Franchises in other countries around the world and leasing the Zorbs - this works really well. So now all I need is someone with some cash and some smarts to call me up and say ... "hey Andrew let's do this right in the USA." 2. ummm what else did you want to know - well I'll tell you what if you want to discuss specific points with me - e-mail me from http://www.zorb.com or I'll be online as "zorb-boy" if you want to chat at http://www.xtrachat.co.nz for a few hours. Adios
  • Except you are pinned by a harness and the rock is only pinned by centripital force. Which means if the Zorb does anything but roll (like bounce), stuff could fly straight at you.

    Everything is fine on water or rolling gently down grassy hills but if this thing is flying down cliffs I see plenty of possibilty for the opening to scuff against something and throw junk inside the sphere. I think the sealed globe is the better idea.

    - JoeShmoe

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
  • He used it at the beginning of his movie "First Strike".

    I'm afraid what you have ahold of there is Armor of God II: Operation Condor. That also had the wind tunnel fight scene at the end, another big-time geek toy experience.

    This correction posted as a public service for those who would rent First Strike exclusively for the Zorb, and not for the slam bang Jackie Chan action.

  • *Gasp* Nope, *Gasp* a sealed *Gasp* globe is *Gasp* definitly *Gasp* *Gasp* not a good *Gasp* ideaaahhh...

    *strains of Taps..*

  • Haha - yeah but consider this ... the only reason it rolls in the first place is 'cos it's round and inflated right - so if it starts to deflate - it stops being so round, and ... stops rolling - perfecto! Besides there's about 13 cubic metres of air in these babys so it sure takes a while to deflate.
  • Ack! You're right! I blame my lack of sleep on that oversight. Operation Condor it is. I even own that movie!

    Ack!
  • You're right as well. Operation Condor it is. As I stated in my reply above, I blame my lack of sleep. I need to use something other that stupidity, which I tend to use too much. :)

    He also do use that para-flying machine in that movie. I'd really enjoy one of those as well.
  • Two reasons it may not work:

    1) Distortion. Magnifiers such as these tend to distort the field of view significantly. Its a little like what you see in a magnifying glass, at the edges. The center looks good and in focus, but the edges stretch away. Fixing this, in my opionion, would be very expensive and require multiple lens and would have a narrow field of view.

    2) Chromatic aberration: Any solution of the above, would have to be very high quality or you would get a prism effect on regions of multiple colors, like white. Notice how bright lights seem prismed in binoculars (especially cheap ones).

    I'm not saying it doesn't work, I'm just saying that if it does, they are probably fixing a lot of technological optics problems inherent in many situations.

    -- Moondog
  • Also available with spikes on the inside.

  • Re:A Question.. (Score:3)

    by Coda ( 22101 ) on Wednesday September 29, 1999 @09:13PM (#1649581) Homepage
    I think that would be the net equivalent to "Hey four-eyes, think fast!"

    Most people don't run their own servers, and a nice note from the Slashdot krew would just make it that much harder to go to sleep.

    I agree with you on principle, but I don't think that would be very useful.

    You know...

    Slashdot: Hey, we're gonna link to ya! Get ready!
    Webmaster: What?
    Slashdot: Get set!
    Webmaster: How?
    Slashdot: Go!
    *crunching sounds*

    That and it's kind of fun watching /.ers mob a page. Democracy in action.
  • According to what I've heard about the Andover.net prospectus, Rob is a bigger "aire" than a thousandaire, but a smaller "aire" than a billionaire. I think he'd buy Bill Gates for a nickel, but would make him sleep in the shed in the backyard.

  • Somebody should remoderate this... it's not a 0. *sigh*... hasn't anybody watched the old series The Prisoner? A true classic... exactly what I thought of when I saw the pic of the Zorb, too.
  • Yeah - but if you take a 1 metre cut (as long as the whole thing's not bouncing which it doesn't where we use it) then it still takes a fair bit of time to deflate - works kind of like a stuntman's airbag

  • To paraphrase the great Gary Larson...

    Heard around the Slashdot offices or whatever the guys like to call their office -

    Potentional Investor: What was that?

    CmdrTaco: Oh, that was just Hemos in his Hamster Ball. (Hemos' Ball?)


  • Well, i suppose it wont come to sweden. That is if it someday gets for sale, we have to much sharp rocks and dirt here. What idiot would roll around in a Zorb in the middle of Gothenburg. :)
  • Oh - think again - it's in Sweden now - or at least we have a Master Franchise for Scandinavia - he lives in Denmark - check out the page ... http://www.zorb.com/scandinavia.htm
  • Maybe I wouldn't have gotten moderated down if I had posted this link the first time.

    If you have no idea what this thread is about, please see http://everything.blockstackers.com/everything.pl? node=the+prisoner
  • If ever there was a a project that had "Do It Yourself written on it, this is the one. all you'd need is some visqueen, scotch tape and a bike pump. Just do it! You could win the a prestigous Darwin award, err... for good Science! Remember to have a video cameraman on hand for it's maiden roll, cause you could win $10K on one of those TV shows where everybody gets hit in the nuts.

  • I zorbed and I want a bigger hill! (Score:3)

    by Basje ( 26968 ) <bas@bloemsaat.org> on Wednesday September 29, 1999 @10:31PM (#1649592) Homepage
    When I was in New Zealand last April, I tried zorbing at Rotorua. It's really cool.

    You roll down and bounce off the hill, not knowing what's up and what's down (much like a wipeout during surfing, only much more fun). My only problem: the hill wasn't big enough to pick up much speed :(

    In some of the other comments I read about safety issues. Well, I don't think it's too unsafe:

    1. The balls are made of thick plastic. A ball won't 'pop', but rather develop a leak. That way the ball deflates. While this can be rather quick, the few impacts after the leak occurs slow down the ball to a safe point. (try playing footbal with a partially inflated or even leak ball. It will take a while before all the air is out)
    2. Water won't stay in. As I've seen it, there are two entrance holes in the Zorb ball, opposite each other. Water coming in from one side will get out the other, not allowing for much water to stay in, but enough to toroughly get you wet!.
    3. If something happens, you can get out. You strap yourself in, and you get out yourself. It's probably easier when upright, but manageble in ayy position.

    To anyone: try it. It's definately cool!

  • Re: fail-safe??? (Score:3)

    by JoeShmoe ( 90109 ) <askjoeshmoe@hotmail.com> on Wednesday September 29, 1999 @10:41PM (#1649593)
    I'm no expert, but from the pictures it looks like this is constructed in the same manner as an air mattress: several different pockets of plastic that are connected by tiny air conduits.

    When inflating with a slow, steady stream...the air can flow into every single plastic chamber until the entire sphere is inflated. Plus, the plastic walls of each chamber (with sufficient air pressure on both sides) are what actually supports the sphere.

    In the case of an extreme puncture, only one of the cells will completely deflate right away, and the surrounding cells will continue to leak air at the same slow, steady rate. Eventually, the entire thing will become rather floppy but hopefully by then you are safe on the ground.

    This doesn't mean hurl yourself into a spike pit because if the "extreme puncture" happens to be in the place where your back is, all bets are off.

    - JoeShmoe

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
  • Given that the inner sphere must be large enough to hold a person, that meants it must be around six feet in diameter. If I remember my geometry correctly (yeah, sure!) then the volume of the sphere is something like 4/3*pi*r^2. If I remember my biology right (uh huh, right) 20 liters of air can sustain a calm person for an hour...

    Oh forget it...someone else can do the math...my point was that the thing looks like it has enough air to last at least a couple hours. If you haven't hit bottom in two hours...well then you are probably in the mafia's "Cement Zorb" on the way to the bottom of the ocean...

    - JoeShmoe

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
  • Haha - yeah - or try this ... the hole is always open so you've got no problem with air - also the Zorb's rotating once every 10 metres or so (30 feet) so although you're going downhill pretty fast - you're not spinning around that quickly - over 7,500 Zorbonauts in Rotorua, New Zealand - no-one's thrown up.
  • The Dangerous Sports Club took one under Tower Bridge in London back in the 80s. Apparently wind resistance on those things is considerable, and a gust of wind made the ball break free from the tugs that were trying to tow it. The people inside almost drowned as the thing slowly collapsed and filled with nice, clean Thames water.
    Still, a miss is as good as a mile...
  • One word: Claustrophobia

    Just by looking at the pictures I got shortness of breath and sweaty palms. I won't even dare to check out the AVIs.
  • Id rather have a dreamcast INSIDE the ball, best of both worlds. Gimme some of that microwave inet access in there too, why not. Oh yeah, add a TV too. Best of all worlds, I could live in that thing.
    *******
  • So you might pass out from the fumes. OK... it pops and you go falling down a hill at high speed. Some of us are still young enough to go out on a limb and try it. Big deal they only want to lease it. It's their idea. I've seen worse. They're entitled to make some money off it. Heck, I'd be the first in line with a grin :^) If you're interested in seeing these guys coming out to the USA you should mail them. You could also call or mail your local fairgrounds/amusement park and tell them they should get one. The end WILL justify the means. HAVE FUN WHILE YOU STILL CAN!
  • Hmmm, I am not sure how liability on something like this works, I mean I can go off of the wrong hill on my dirt bike and die too, but I can't sue Yamaha when it happens.

  • I must get one for me and my girlfriend... (Although it would be more for a exhibitionisms) (sp?)

    ;)

    Jón
  • I love the idea of it! I spent many hours raising and breeding gerbils (minds off of Richard Gere!) and one day I was invited to a few TV shows where I raced Gerbils, met Miss America and made money and I always thought racing humans would be fun. But is there the issue of suffication for small children?
    --------------------------------------- ----
  • and die too, but I can't sue Yamaha when it happens

    Presumably because you'd be dead? :)

    Is it possible to leave lawsuits in your will?

  • You could also, I'd imagine, use a two-hole Zorb for that purpose; you'd get a lot wetter but because the Zorb floats...

    Just a second...picture this: two hole Zorb rolling around in the water, and one hole goes below the surface. Water will pour in the submerged hole and Zorb and owner will sleep with the fishes because the only thing that keeps the Zorb afloat normally is air pressure on the inside, which is now being conveniently relieved by the other hole!

    I reckon you need a way of completely sealing (and re-opening :) )it from the inside - no holes at all. You wouldn't even have to get yourself wet then and, punctures notwithstanding, you certainly wouldn't sink.

  • The coolest way of doing it was not getting strapped in, but just sitting inside with about a bucket and a half of water being poured in. You just go flying down the hill sliding all over the place. Other stuff we did was ly in front of the ball as its rolling. Its always fun flattening your mates and it doesn't hurt at all!!!!! Is did it in Rotorua, New Zealand
  • *grin* not if it is an accident..

    "..and, if I accidently get run over by someone in the Department of Sanitation, while crouched in the middle of the road picking up spare change I dropped because of a strong unexpected NW wind, I want to sue their arses"
  • they're so damned odd.
  • Wonder how much these things cost and if we can talk Andover into buying us one.

    Uhh, why would Andover need to buy one for you? Wasn't slashdot sold for (literally) millions in cash?

    Sorry, it's just a pet peeve of mine. You have millions. Get used to it.

    Jordan
  • Put a ramp at the bottom of the hill, and see how far those suckers'll go! I know that I'd be the first volunteer for that.
  • Yes, but we are not talking about rolling gently down a New Zealand hill...we are talking chucking ourselves over the side of a steep cliff like Jackie Chan did.

    I think it would be a fantastic publicity stunt to bring one of those Zorbs to the US and then throw yourself down the Grand Canyon. Of course, your lawyers would probably not agree.

    Out of curiousity...did the name "Zorb" stem from the fact that the giant air pockets ab-zorb the force of impact? Just curious...

    - JoeShmoe

    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
  • Welcome to America, land of the lawsuit. God bless her.

    "Here's my money! I have money! Why won't you sell me that product?"

    "Um, we're afraid you'll do something stupid with it and sue us."

    "I'll sign this form waiving all liability!"

    "Sorry, citizen-unit, you have not the discretional authority to make such decisions."

    America. Where those who know what's best for us must rise and save us from ourselves.

  • Didn't Jackie Chan ride one of these down the side of a mountain at the begining of Operation Condor?

    Oh, and I think I recal seeinging these on the Real World, with water in 'em. Looked like an endless Slip-n-slide. Sweet.
  • Well, if you roll off a hill or roll into a busy intersection, wouldn't the ball be just a huge airbag? Boing! There you go, highway volleyball! Ever see those crazy stunts where people go over Niagra Falls in a barrell? How about in a Zorb with and its spectacular view.
  • Ummm...It looks to me like the volume of air between the two spheres would keep it bouyant.
  • Place the entrie crew of Road Rules in one hamster ball, Find the biggest hill/mountain you can find, fill the ball with water and sharks, let the ball go and hope to never see road rules ever again on mtv. :)
  • The Simpsons go Zorbing? [zorb.com]
    No. That would be marge narrowly escaping the Village Security bubble and Hans Moleman getting caught.

    I can see the infomercial already: "Hello, I'm Patrick McGoohan. Today, I'd like to introduce Zorb...."
    ---

  • Didn't I see this in one of the Jackie Chan "Armor of God" movies? Where he uses it to escape from the island savages?
  • I'm not positive, but i think Tom Green used a similar contraption on his show. He rolled into someone's softball game and said "due to modern technology, i can play softball even with my alergies!" and everyone got mad at him. They tried to cut it open, beat him up, etc.
  • Thank goodness for that, I thought I was cracking up for a minute there! They must have put something in my coffee.
  • Someone saw the Avengers?
    ___
    "I know kung-fu."
  • I believe that one was "Operation Condor" right at the beginning, in a rather unrelated episode. But boy was it neat! At the end of his daring escape, he fell off a cliff, and bounced around for quite some time - many "ow"s ensued.
  • I wonder how hard you'd have to hit something before you felt it. It lookes likes there's a lot of space between you and the outer-sphere.

    It looks like you could get hit by a car and just bounce away.
  • how bout selling em and coming in for a quality audit once in a while ? kind of like the FAA.... also a no liability provision in the contract should cover you guys from lawsuits..
  • ...And these are the replies:

    You are so weird.

    Only if I get to be the first to push you down the hill...

    Chill, no sweat, whatever you say! Some of us want an earlier retirement, but we won't get it, even if we ask the right people.

    Hmmm....interesting....but looks like fun!

    You must be on break.

    If I get one of those, I'm keeping it for myself!! :-)

    What in the world IS that?

    Where do you find these things? :)

    What in the world is that thing? And don't tell me it's a Zorb!

    you're nuts.

  • Just a second...picture this: two hole Zorb rolling around in the water, and one hole goes below the surface. Water will pour in the submerged hole and Zorb and owner will sleep with the fishes because the only thing that keeps the Zorb afloat normally is air pressure on the inside, which is now being conveniently relieved by the other hole!

    The Zorb floats, not because of air pressure inside the sphere, but because it's inflatable. An innertube floats with a hold on it; a Zorb is the same way.

    As long as you don't puncture the Zorb, the thing will float even with one hole pointing straight down; water might splash up into the Zorb, but no more than a few drops (which run down the sides and back out through the hole). The Zorb itself would not sink.
  • My friends have been threatening for years to buy me a bubble to live in and now they can. Great. I'm thrilled. Anyone want to loan me a penknife?
  • Actually it was Armor of God 2, when he was running away from those weird villagers with the buildings on their heads. They actually threw spears at his Zorb if I remember correctly. Operation Condor was one of those made-for-America montages of real Jackie Chan movies I think. And it sucked. Armor of God 2, OTOH, was totally amazing, I highly recommend it. The chase scene with Jackie on a motorcycle and 7 or 8 black BMWs chasing him was the tops.

  • How do you stop one of these things? If you're rolling down a hill at a fair clip of speed, how do you intend to make it stop? I don't think a person would want to get in front of it and get ran over, and you can just jump out. I guess the only solution is find a REALLY long flat landing area.
  • I am fairly certain that Armor of God 2 and Operation Condor where the exact same movie, Operation Condor was just the US release. Armor of God one was better, but Drunken Master one is his beast (Who am I rates up there too.)
  • exactaly what I was thinking. Its been on the news multiple times. I'm sure if you contact the NZ guy you could buy em.
  • You could just kick the little feller for a stroll in the park...

  • Those were precision Atlaspheres(tm). Those were not toys for bounding down hills, they were specifically engineered to test man's will to win.

  • Helium!

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