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Ride down ski slope in giant inflatable ball turns deadly in Russia
Associated Press ^ | Published January 09, 2013

Posted on 01/09/2013 7:55:14 AM PST by BenLurkin

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

The transparent plastic ball -- called a zorb -- veered off course and sailed over a precipice in the rugged Caucasus Mountains of southern Russia.

The man who died, 27-year-old Denis Burakov, was with friends at the Dombai ski resort, where they frequently went snowboarding, on Jan. 3 when he decided to take a ride in a zorb being operated next to a beginners' slope. His friend Vladimir Shcherbakov joined him.

An eight-minute video taken on Burakov's phone by one of his friends shows the two men being fitted into harnesses inside the zorb, which consists of two polyurethane balls with a layer of air between them. The zorb is then released to roll down the hill, the two men spinning inside.

But the zorb bounces off of the intended path, and a man waiting for it at the bottom of the hill tries in vain to catch the ball before it pops over a rocky ledge and disappears down a gorge below Mount Mussa-Achitara.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Outdoors; Sports
KEYWORDS: caucasusmountains; russia; skiing; zorb
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1 posted on 01/09/2013 7:55:21 AM PST by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin
Fatal zorb
2 posted on 01/09/2013 7:58:15 AM PST by Berlin_Freeper
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To: BenLurkin

Ban Zorbs. Execute anyone who mentions personal responsibility.


3 posted on 01/09/2013 7:59:44 AM PST by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin (Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you.)
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To: BenLurkin

Vladimir, hold my vodka...


4 posted on 01/09/2013 7:59:50 AM PST by Marshall 4x12 (Remind me which country this is?)
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To: BenLurkin

Is the life expectancy of Russian men still 47 years?


5 posted on 01/09/2013 8:00:52 AM PST by proxy_user
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To: BenLurkin

Time to legislate mandatory parachutes in Zorbs.


6 posted on 01/09/2013 8:01:06 AM PST by Lazamataz (LAZ'S LAW: As an argument with liberals goes on, the probability of being called racist approaches 1)
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To: Lazamataz; All

Short Video of the incident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19gFJnrmiO0


7 posted on 01/09/2013 8:04:34 AM PST by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both)
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To: BenLurkin

Comes with barf bags?


8 posted on 01/09/2013 8:05:40 AM PST by bboop (does not suffer fools gladly)
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To: BenLurkin

Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.


9 posted on 01/09/2013 8:06:02 AM PST by Biff55 (Don't fire until you see the blue of their helmets.)
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To: BenLurkin

Rolling down a mountain in an overgrown beach ball....What could go wrong?


10 posted on 01/09/2013 8:06:51 AM PST by wrench
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To: BenLurkin

We used to roll down a small hill inside a tractor inner tube into the local river. A fun time.


11 posted on 01/09/2013 8:07:26 AM PST by riverrunner
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To: bboop

They put you in the barf bag.


12 posted on 01/09/2013 8:07:32 AM PST by Berlin_Freeper
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To: BenLurkin

Geez, what could go wrong???


13 posted on 01/09/2013 8:08:14 AM PST by mfish13 (ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!!!!)
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To: BenLurkin

Gravity. It’s the law.


14 posted on 01/09/2013 8:10:27 AM PST by chrisser (Senseless legislation does nothing to solve senseless violence.)
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To: BenLurkin

And you would want to make a basketball of yourself because?


15 posted on 01/09/2013 8:13:41 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (TYRANNY: When the people fear the politicians. LIBERTY: When the politicians fear the people.)
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To: BenLurkin

Like ZZTops ‘Master of Sparks’


16 posted on 01/09/2013 8:14:04 AM PST by stuartcr ("I upraded my moral compass to a GPS, to keep up with the times.")
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To: Berlin_Freeper
I wonder when the OH Sh’t moment was most likely when they hit the first rocks and became air borne.
17 posted on 01/09/2013 8:14:31 AM PST by riverrunner
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To: BenLurkin

Truly heroic effort on the part of the “catcher” to avert tragedy at the base of the run. The man ran like a deer over deep snow trying to deflect their course, but to no avail.


18 posted on 01/09/2013 8:16:30 AM PST by PowderMonkey (WILL WORK FOR AMMO)
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To: BenLurkin
I was hoping it was this guy in the giant ball.

I hate his movies but like his attitude about French taxes.

19 posted on 01/09/2013 8:17:50 AM PST by KeyLargo
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To: BenLurkin

Geez, what could go wrong???


20 posted on 01/09/2013 8:20:14 AM PST by mfish13 (ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!!!!)
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