Just when you thought it was safe to strap yourself into a big, double-chambered plastic ball and roll down a ski slope with no means of controlling your descent, the dangerous side of Zorbing rears its nefarious head. Sun Journal reporter Rebekah Metzler was enjoying one of the perks of her job by previewing the Lost Valley Ski Area's soon-to-open 240-acre Zorbing park.
All was going well as she and a photographer were rolling down a grassy ski run--until their Zorb "bounced off a hay-encased post, went airborne and landed hard several seconds later," fracturing Metzler's back.
There are several measures designed to keep Zorbs from going off-course, and proper air pressure is the key to avoiding the pachinko-style caroms, but the mishap is pretty scary nonetheless. It's easy to feel invincible when you're strapped into a cushioned, womb-like bubble, but apparently that's still not enough to protect Zorbers from rare cases of extremely bad luck. There's probably just a millimeter's difference between "broken back" and "most awesome Zorbing run ever." Still, we'd do it in a heartbeat.
Related Stories:
· Lost Valley Ski Area [Official Site]
· Fun Ride Turns into Painful Experience [Sun Journal]
· Zorbing coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Sun Journal]]]>