Effectively throwing yourself down a slope in a giant ball, or ‘Zorbing”, is one of the latest extreme sport craze to sweep the world. This bizarre sport, invented in 2000, involves a giant plastic ball, which has two skins, one inside the other. The person zorbing is in the area between the skins, which is pumped up with air. The middle ball effectively suspends them on a cushion of air 700mm off the ground and the ball is then rolled down a hill.
Like a number of other extreme sports, such as bungee jumping, zorbing originated in New Zealand. There are two different ways to zorb - either harnessed inside the ball, or "hydrozorbing", which involves putting water in the ball, which zorbers can slide around on as it revolves.
Racing down an active 2,380 ft volcano at speeds of 50 mph with only a board for protection is considered by many thrill-seeking sports fanatics as the coolest sport around.
Thousands of travelers head to the foothills of Nicaragua's Cerro Negro mountain every year to take part in the new sporting craze. Surfers, dressed in protective jump suits, knee-pads and helmets, can reach speeds of up to 80 km/h (50mph) on their specially-constructed plywood boards. Since its creation, in 2005, the volcano boarding has attracted more than 10,000 participants. (Source | Photo 1 | Photo 2)