Zorbing, now there's a new word for the next game of Scrabble. Images of a Woody Allen film, a character in Mork and Mindy or a Greek dance might be a suggested origin, but zorbing is nothing as sedate. It comes from the land of bungee jumping and the shot-over jet, a New Zealand heritage that cherishes the adrenaline rush.

Zorbing involves climbing into a ball inside another ball, receiving a push and rolling down a hill at about 25-30 miles per hour, hemmed in by a row of wooden poles. The adrenaline junkies whose curiosity is aroused can experience a gentle introduction at the Mars Planet Sports Show at Point from October 6th to 8th.

An Irishman, Rory McLoughney, controls the master franchise in this country and will offer hardy souls the opportunity to become zorbonauts. A 25-metre inflatable ramp will run from a truck and participants will be offered a chance to experience what it is all about.

McLoughney is currently working to open the world's biggest zorb run (750 metres) at Johnstown in Co Kilkenny on a former gallops site: the existing largest zorb run is a 300-metre track in New Zealand. He has received huge interest in the venture from Europe as well as inquiries from schools and the corporate sector.

It is hoped that the project will begin in April or May of next year. McLoughney first happened upon the pursuit when watching a feature on a Network 2 news feature last year. He bought into the franchise and is hoping that it will take off in this country. Until the proposed plans for the Johnstown venture are confirmed, Irish people will have to content themselves with the miniature version at the Point.

Zorbing is the creation (1994) of Dwane van der Sluis and Andrew Akers. Teething problems were numerous, but a prototype was tested at One Tree Hill in Auckland. They pride themselves on discovering the latest adventure experience. The zorb is made from transparent PVC, two balls attached to each other with 700 mm of air cushioning the occupant from the ground.

The outer surface of the inner ball is attached to the inner surface of the outer ball. The sphere is over 10 feet in height and each zorb costs about £6,500. It weighs 8090 kilograms and can be inflated either by vacuum cleaner (on reverse) or leaf blower. There is an opening through which a person crawls and in the case of hill zorbing, a harness into which they climb. The latter is not altogether necessary given the G-forces experienced but McLoughney demands that it is used.

People then have a choice of facing forward (looking down the designated hill) or backwards, the latter requiring a little more bottle apparently. The ball, on hitting any of the poles, changes direction so that it is not simply an endless panorama of grass, blue sky, grass, etc, in a straight line. Children are also catered for with mini-zorbs.

They are not allowed go down hills but can run around inside on flat ground to their heart's content.

Unlike bungee jumping, where a 150 ft plunge would incorporate five or six seconds of "hang-time" before the elasticised rope kicks in, a descent in a zorb from 750 metres could take between a minute and a minute and a half: obviously there would be individual options as to the starting point on the hill. The sensation has been likened to being inside a tumble-dryer but that is something that the creators dispute.

Akers asserts on the special website: "The experience is not like being in a tumble dryer; the zorb rotates once every 10 metres (that'll be two-and-a-half rotations for those who participate at the Point) so the revolving sensation is not stomach churning, although it is very bizarre. We've had 10,000 zorbonauts and not a single one has vomited inside the zorb." No mention then of those who may have tossed their cookies on emerging.

What may safely be assumed is that it is not for the faint-hearted or those of a nervous disposition. McLoughney claims that it is not claustrophobic and that the inner chamber is always open to the outside so one has fresh air entering all the time. The one exception is hydro-zorbing, where the door is sealed.

This involves throwing a bucket of water into the zorb and allowing people unharnessed to slide around and propel the zorb on a level piece of ground. Water zorbing and snow zorbing are other experiences likely to be made available in the short term and something called extreme zorbing, which may turn the whole thing into a team sport.

For now though Irish people will have to content themselves with a 25 ft inflatable ramp and the short-spin cycle.