Unusual (extreme) sports

CANOPYING

Do you remember the scene in the movie Medicine Man, starring Sean Connery, where him and the other scientist go flying through the treetops of rainforests hanging from harnesses fixed to ropes? It is what canopying is all about. This adventure sport is latest fun in Costa Rica and in the rest of the world where you can find the rain forests. If the fact of flying through treetops at 40 meters from the ground seems to you as frightening and exciting idea, just imagine what it must be like to do it among the tree tops of the tropical rain forests. The sport was originated from rappelling, which is a sport derived from mountain climbing in that it also uses safety climbing harnesses and ropes to displace the person from one point to another. The technique was developed by scientists in the US to study the canopies (upper parts of trees) in forests without disturbing the life in the limbs and trunk by having to attach ladders or climbing equipment to the tree. It was not long before the growing tourist industry in Costa Rica took notice of this technique and decided that it was a very good activity for the tourists. Now, over 10 companies offer this type of adventure sport in different parts of the Costa Rican rainforest. Canopying is a sport that poses risks to your health but you would discover many creatures that inhabit only those areas. Some companies will even let you camp overnight in the platforms at the top of the trees. If you would like to test this sport you need the following things the light raincoat, the light clothes, the camera, the binoculars, the insect repellent and of course an adventurous spirit. The company supplies all other equipment. I think that this sport is something you will remember for the rest of your life and something you will want to do again. HUMAN CATAPULT

The Human Catapult falls into the category of "Dangerous Sports" too. Like all of these sports, there is a big danger of injure or death. It happened on November 2002, when a young man was killed when he attended this activity. The organisers of the Human Catapult have now stopped it and it is unknown if it will be re-open.
A Human Catapult! Who would come up with such a crazy idea? It has to be the members of The Dangerous Sports Club from England. The Dangerous Sports Club has been doing crazy things since the 1970´s. These are the guys to blame for the bungee jump.

They were the first people who jumped from the bridge in Bristol, on a homemade bungee cord.
Over the last few years, a couple of the club's members have been seeking to design and build the Human Catapult. The Human Catapult is based on the same design as the medieval trebuchets that were military weapons. They were used in Siege Warfare when they were used to throw stones over the walls of a fortress.
When you would like to test it you had to fill out the usual paperwork and then you were weighed. After this you get the safety equipment that include a harness, a kidney belt, neck brace and a crash helmet. You can get extra protection - a padded shirt and heavy work boots. Then they give you the safety briefing. You have to roll yourself up into a ball and don't unroll until you have stopped bouncing on the safety net. They fix you, count to 3 and then you fly for 3 to 4 seconds at around 70 km/h. ZORBING

What is a zorb? The zorb is a large inflatable ball that people climb into and then roll down a hill inside it. The original idea came from the UK, but it has the biggest success in New Zealand.
There are two different types of zorbs. You can try either a dry zorb or a wet zorb. Both types sit at the top of a steep, grassy hill and are started by a very kind guy who pushes your zorb over the top. With the dry zorb, you are securely fixed in and then rolled over the top then you roll and bounce your way down the hill. The dry zorb is a lot of fun and is definitely worth trying. Over against the wet zorb is a totally different type of ride to the dry one. With this one, you are not fixed in and you are running like a hamster in its wheel. The challenge is to remain upright all the way. It sounds easy but it is very hard because they throw some warm soapy water inside. As you can imagine things get a little bit slippery. ← On this picture you can see, that the person (known as "the Zorbonaut") has got about 0,7 m of air between him and the ground. This air protection keeps him safe as he comes down of a hill at speeds of up to 50 km/hour. What does the zorb look like?
The original zorb is 3,2 metres in outside diameter, 1,8 metres inner diameter. The Zorb weighs around 75 kg. It is made of PVC that is very strong and resistant. The zorb takes around 5 - 7 minutes to inflate.
You can try a special zorb for cold conditions that is made from special PVC made to withstand sub-zero temperatures. This sport has many admirers among children so they can try the children-zorb that is 2,2 metres in outside diameter and 1,2 metres in inside diameter. It is perfect for children between 3 and 12.
You can try various types of zorbs.

For example the zorb that has one entrance is used mainly for hydro-zorbing. The zorb with two entrances is used for double-Zorbing when you are inside with your friend. You can try this sport in many states around the World. You can chose from this list e.g. Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, England, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand and many and many more.