This episode’s vocabulary
Aqua zorbing
noun — an activity in which someone rolls down a hill or along the surface of water in a large transparent plastic ball.
To flounder
verb — to move awkwardly or to be in an awkward or difficult situation.
Harness
noun — a piece of equipment with straps and belts, used to control or hold in place a person, animal, or object.
Life jacket
noun — a piece of equipment, like a jacket without sleeves, that is filled with air or light material and is designed to help you float if you fall into water.
Finesse
noun — great skill or style.
Outbreak
noun — a time when something suddenly begins, especially a disease or something else dangerous or unpleasant.
Questions and answers
Rory is gonna say what it was, what he needs to prepare, how easy or difficult it is, and explain why he wants to try this particular activity. Rory, fire away.
Well, I've always wanted to go aqua zorbing, which is a very unusual kind of sport. So I'll explain it in a bit more detail. That's when you get into a clear plastic ball, and you roll around on the water. Sometimes it's done in order to navigate a course. But lots of people just like to have fun sort of floundering around, in or on the water. And I think it looks like a lot of fun. And it's not a professional sport or anything. I don't think it could be even classed as a hobby since it's more of a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It doesn't take much preparation beyond possibly not eating a big meal beforehand, because the motion sickness you could suffer might have a rather bad or disgusting outcome for you. I haven't tried it myself yet. But I've seen pictures and videos. And it seems like a relatively uncomplicated process. You just climb in and roll around. I don't think there's much risk of drowning since the ball floats on the water. And you're in a harness and I think you have to wear a life jacket too. Maybe moving with any degree of finesse might be hard. But that's about it, to be honest. I've been drawn to it since I taught a lesson about sort of extreme or unusual sport a few years ago. And this is one of the things that was there. So I always wanted to try it. And actually, in fact, I had tickets booked for my friend and I had to go but then there was the COVID outbreak and that stopped that from happening. But hopefully this summer, I'll get a chance to try it again. And I'm really enthusiastic about that.
Will you do it sometime in the future?
Um, well, like I say I hope to do it this summer when I go back home.
Thank you very for your zorbing answer. -