The idea of zorbing or sphering in the United Arab Emirates is absolutely fun and crazy. The country may not have the hills like New Zealand to do this kind of activity but the towering dunes in the desert of the UAE should be perfect place as well. Zorbing or Sphering is a sport using a gigantic inflatable ball called a “zorb” about 3 meters high and 5 meters in diameter, generally made of transparent plastic.

This sport is basically called sphering or globe-riding because the equipment is in a form of a sphere or a globe. However, zorbing became a common name because the first company who manufactured and commercialized the sphere equipment used in sphering was called Zorb Limited. The spheres they manufactured for this sport were then called  “zorb”.

 Due to the success of the Zorb company, Sphereing is often referred to as Zorbing, and Zorbing entered the Concise Oxford English Dictionary in 2001 where it was defined as: "a sport in which a participant is secured inside an inner capsule in a large, transparent ball which is then rolled along the ground or down hills".

When doing this sport the fun begins when you are launched off of a ramp down an incline about 300 metres long and the rest is left to gravity! Reaching speeds of up to 35 mph, you will spin and bounce around from your securely attached position at the centre of the Zorb until you reach the bottom of the run.

Alternatively, you could also try Hydro Zorbing! This is the same as above with one main difference, the zorb is filled with 2 buckets of either cold or warm water, so as you roll or bounce down the hill, you slip and slide, forwards and backwards while the zorb gains speed with every turn! This is just as exciting as normal zorbing, however, you will probably find this version a lot more refreshing and should be suitable in the desert of UAE.

Zorbing is very popular in New Zealand; however, other countries like United States and United Kingdom are not behind. Sooner or later zorbing or sphering in United Arab Emirates will be another trend of adrenaline sport in the region.

Last update: 10-08-2008 10:16

Skimboarding in United Arab Emirates is not as popular as the other board sports that you can enjoy in the country. Unlike surfing, skimboarding starts on the beach. The skimboarder stands within running distance from the point of entry into the water with the skimboard in hand and waits for a wave. As the desired wave approaches the skimboarder runs towards the water. A rider drops the board and runs on the board without having to catch up to it. Depending on conditions the board is either dropped on a thin layer of water from a receding wave or on the thicker water in front of the wave.

Skimboarding is predominantly a recreational activity, like surfing, it has also evolved into a highly competitive water sport and is now being taken more seriously. This sport was first known in Laguna Beach California, USA way back in 1920. Skimboarding continued to grow in Laguna over the first half of the century, as well as worldwide, as people everywhere fashioned home-made wood boards out of plywood and used them at their local beaches.

Skimboarding is based on hydroplaning. The skimboards that are used during skimboarding are smaller and thinner than surfboards because they do not require as much buoyancy. The skimboard is a craft of varying size, usually of some oval or tear-drop shape. The tail of the board is most commonly pintail though custom shaped boards are occasionally squash-tail or fishtail.

Dangers are also imminent in skimboarding, injuries are mostly related to hitting a hard surface at abnormal speeds. So if you can find a good location to do skimboarding in United Arab Emirates or in Oman, you must be extra careful and should adhere to all safety guidelines related to this kind of sport.

Last update: 10-08-2008 10:16

Kneeboarding in United Arab Emirates is less popular and commercial than stand up surfing. But still some tour operators and beach hotels in the country have kneeboarding equipment for this niche's enthusiasts. Kneeboarding involves kneeboard which is similar in many ways to a surfboard but generally; it is slightly wider and shorter.

Kneeboard surfers generally wear swim fins and catch the wave by paddling and kicking. Kneeboard surfers ride on their knees and take advantage of this compact riding position to generate power through turns, survive deep tube rides, late drops and explosive moves off the lip of the wave. The advantages to kneeboarding include an extremely low centre of gravity, less wind resistance, the ability to ride higher and farther back in the tube, and taking off on a steeper part of the wave.

Another form of kneeboarding is towed kneeboardingis an offshoot of kneeboard surfing; kneeboard athletes compete in slalom, tricks, and expression session events. Towed kneeboards have a padded deck contoured to the shape of the shins and knees and a strap holds the rider to the board. Towed kneeboarding declined in popularity with the advent of wakeboarding and other modern water sports. A kneeboard is a good piece of equipment to start out on for boat-towed sports—the low centre of gravity often makes it easier to get up on than a waterski or wakeboard, which both require standing up.

Last update: 10-08-2008 10:16

Author: Robert

Kneeboarding is an excellent place to start if you are new to boat-towed water sports. This is because of the low center for gravity, which means you can get up on your board easier than with sports such as waterskiing and wakeboarding. What do you need to get started with kneeboarding? First you need to select between two types of boards.

 

Last update: 18-05-2008 11:12

There is a latest dangerous sport that will surely hit the United Arab Emirates soon, it’s a sport called extreme ironing. Extreme ironing is an extreme sport and a performance art in which people take an ironing board to a remote location and iron a few items of clothing. According to the official website, extreme ironing is the latest danger sport combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt.

Extreme Ironing takes the loathsome domestic task of ironing into "extreme" locations: cliff tops, rock faces, up trees, in crowed public places and underwater. Ironing boards, irons and creased clothes are the only equipment you'll need. Arm pads to prevent iron burns are optional.

Organizers of a 2002 Extreme Ironing championship in Munich described it as "a sport which combines the danger and the spirit of an extreme sport with boring housework you have to do. By Extreme Ironing the sportsman gets a great fitness and he is always looking smart."

Ironing greats need to not only master the tough environments but also show creativity and flair in their ironing skills, get all the creases out and do it in record time. Extreme Ironing has been a surprise hit on YouTube where competitors show off their skills on the beach, up trees and up a mountain.

With the latest rising buildings and projects in the Dubai, there’s no doubt that extreme ironing in the United Arab Emirates will be the next craze in extreme sport in the country.  Why not form the extreme Ironing Group using the groups function! 

Last update: 10-08-2008 10:16

Accroding the the Extreme ironing website - its the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt.

Last update: 26-07-2008 14:27