Reinventing the ball for new recreational pursuits

Bizit Air Products have come up with a fun idea - inflatable plastic balls with up to a 4.5 metre/15 foot diameter that can accomodate dancers, motorcycles, and even cars for a showstopping presentation that's hard to ignore. Fully sealed, the balls allow an occupant to walk on land, water, or even a sea of hands, all the while looking like they're trapped in a soap bubble.

Charles Blane Jones, a former door-to-door encyclopedia salesman, came up with the idea in 1997 in Milan, Italy. The concept has found some creative uses:

- Teams of acrobats inside inflatable balls have entertained guests at the Versace mansion. - Large balls with advertising banners printed onto them have been used as part of half-time entertainment at major sporting events. - Specially built 7.5 metre bubbles have been used to present cars at motor shows. - Mini "Bimboballs" have allowed kids to get in on the action. - The Waterball race series in Italy (warning, some obscene language on linked video)

Wherever the balls have been used to date, they've been a source of fascination. We look forward to seeing where this concept goes from here.

For more information: www.watersphere.com www.danceball.com www.waterball.org