Zorbing

Roll down a hill inside a giant transparent double-walled plastic sphere — for time (hydro) or free-form fun.

👥1 per team🌤outdoor

What is Zorbing?

Zorbing is the recreational (and lightly competitive) sport of rolling down a hill inside a large transparent double-walled inflatable sphere. Formats include harnessed (strapped upright inside the ball for dry courses) and hydrozorb (loose inside with a bucket of water for slippery courses). It began commercially in Rotorua, New Zealand in 1994.

Quick facts

Category

Adventure & Extreme Sports

Type

Individual

Players

1 per team

Where played

outdoor

Country of origin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

Estimated origin

1994, Rotorua, New Zealand (Andrew Akers, Dwane van der Sluis)

Olympic

No

Popularity

niche

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified