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 ...
Tragic for their loved ones
Entertainment for freepers
Seems like I’d get pretty dizzy. I’ve done some of the longest and highest zip lines in the world in Arenal, CR and did not enjoy them...scared of heights, I guess. Same with hot air balloon. Terrified the entire time.
We had a fifty gallon drum with the top cut out of it. Great times.
I did my longest zip line in Tulum, Mexico. 1.5 miles, 100 feet above the ground. Can’t recall what the longest run was but, I’m going to Tahoe this summer and ride that one.
Love zip lines.
The zip lines in Arenal are in a beautiful setting and the Arenal area of Costa Rica is great for adventure travel. The zip line experience had about 6-7 runs through the mountains and the longest one is about a mile, I believe.
Yeah, looked it up and would love to go...for the women...
Dumb ways to die....so many dumb ways to die...
The good news is he’s got a dead-sure case for a refund.
More stupid human tricks.
Here’s a video of the one I rode. (I’m not in the vid)
I’m pumped thinking about this again.
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=qSKaqCsahIY&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DqSKaqCsahIY
A zorb is the ride of your life...
“In your country, you bounce ball. In Russia, you get bounced by ball!”
Ivan: *facepalm*, Hey, Dmitri, Americanskis have discovered secret to making this work....
Dmitri: So, we send KGB... excuse me, we send Federal Security Service to steal... excuse me, research the American technology?
No doubt. That has to be one of the down-sides about the BEST ride, let alone this very unfortunate one.
I thought these things were everywhere, but it turns out there are only a couple of places. And it just happened that I was at one of those places (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee).
Turns out I was wrong about how many there were — there are only a couple in this country, I just happened to be where one was, in Pigeon Forge, when I was visiting Dollywood several times one year.
I also have been to some place where they set up a “standing” version of the Zorb; the ball was places in a small pool, and some contraption would then bounce it around and make it spin over. Obviously only dangerous if the ball bounced out, and you put the poll next to a deep gorge.
I am scared of heights, but that is part of the thrill. It’s one of the things I like about coasters, the thrill of being scared. I had a very hard time stepping off the platform when I did zip-line (my fear of heights is great enough that it is one of my three big dream-nightmare scenarios, and I can literally become frozen on a ladder if I don’t mentally focus).
Interestingly, I found that if I can get myself into a “controlled” position, it is easier — meaning if the rope is taut, and I am already hanging, it isn’t hard to push off into the abyss. But allowing myself to fall out into the abyss before jerking the rope taut is very much harder — I took a minute to do a simple 12-foot rappelling wall at a conference, simply because I had to fall backwards over the edge before the rope became taut.
I also don’t like spinning things, and I don’t like the clear lack of control of random spins (so I can ride a scrambler, I don’t like it but I know how long the ride will last and how I’ll spin, but I can’t get into one of those balls that launch into the air on a bungee, because I just don’t know how many times I’ll flip over. My son however is going to get me on one soon, maybe next year — I like to confront my fears).
I guess at this point in my life I prefer to be grounded. I swing on the swingset with my daughter and I get dizzy. Hiking, biking, surfing, paddleboarding...anything on the ground or water.
I went skydiving in my mid 20’s...the thought of doing it again terrifies me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.