Zero-Gravity Sports League In Development

Jonathan writes "A company that provides weightless flights to paying space tourists is developing a league around a sport that is designed for a zero-G environment." From the article: "The sport is called 'Paraball'...originally short for Parabolic Football," Persaud told SPACE.com. "The game really isn't like football anymore as the rules have developed, but the name has stuck," he added. [..] "The International Parabolic Sports League (IPSL) I plan to start with seven U.S. based teams, plus one Toronto-based team. Initially all League games would be played from the Las Vegas, Nevada airport, but we'll have 'home' games when the Zero-Gravity Corporation are able to bring their aircraft to that many cities over the time span of the league's season."

Comments

Practical Though?

[heli0]

"It wasn't a dark game, but it wasn't a bright one either-the lights were about half, like dusk. In the distance, in the dim light, he could see the enemy door, their lighted flash suits already pouring out. Ender knew a moments pleasure. Everyone had learned from Bonzo's misuse of Ender Wiggin. They all jumped through the door immediately, so that there was no chance to do anything other than name the formation they would use."

Why invent a new sport?

[vitalyb]

The battle-school sport in Ender's Game is complex enough.

I can even think of a few ways for the freezing guns.

The losing team...

[oaksey]

The losing team should get tossed out of the plane (with parachutes of course), with the winners just getting flown straight home. Would make it a bit more dramatic for TV.

Xenon + Oxygen = Swim in Breathable Gas!

[Sigfried]

In "The Inventions of Daedalus", scientist and author David E. Jones points out that Xenon is a noble gas with a density greater than water. If you combine Xenon with oxygen and put it in a really big tank, you will have a breathable gas in a tank, in which human being can float. By combining xenon with appropriate amounts of nitrogen, you can get the density close to that of humans, and it will be similar to weightlessness. Wikipedia points out that Xenon has some anaesthetic effects, which would come in handy for those bruising scrimmages...

How long do they have weightlessness?

[coleblak]

Because the vomit comet only has like twenty five seconds in a minute long flight. A twenty second long game may be about right for the average American kid nowadays but I don't see the entertainment value at all.

Re:Waitaminute ... this sounds familiar ...

[Anonymous Monkey]

Wow, this is a great topic. We get Calvin and Ender at the same time! But seriously...When in high school a group of friends stared playing Calvin Ball. At first it was a joke but it became a game where quick wits and the ability to debate while lobing volleyballs at your opponents head was helpful. The game became a standard for my friends who wrote short stores, the frenzied, gooey and strenuous environment spawned creativity. A 0g version of that game would be a great way to inspire creativity in the right group of people.

Pararena

[coldcup]

There was a game for mac, around the time of the Macintosh Classic called Pararena. It was a single player, or network multiplayer game where you have two people in a bowl like arena and two goals, similar to soccer. Two players ride hovering platforms and fly around the arena, trying to get the ball into their goal. If you fall out of the arena, the other player gets a point. If you get knocked out of the arena, the other player gets a point.

I wasted quite a few days playing that game...

Re:Some pictures and video of ZeroG parabolic flig

[DigiShaman]

You know, the Porn industry would pay you guys' big bucks!!! Think about it; a new DVD titled "Zero-G Spot" or something. I mean, video of zero-g sex in action would be very unique to the market. Talk about a venture partnership to capitalize on.

Also, imagine Zero-G fighting championships. Ohh AWSOME idea! Spike TV would love this. Hell, a new martial art might even be formed out of it (bouncing off walls and stuff to go for that headlock). The kicks, punches, rebounds *drool*

Re:Another Elitist Sport. Why?

[Gogo0]

Elitist, sure, but what other major sports are like that?
Kids get scouted in high school and get scholarships to colleges for football, hockey, baseball, and other sports. It doesnt matter how rich they are or what school they go to, if theyre good then a scout will come check them out.
Hell, the NBA is full of kids who drop out of high school to play profesionally.

Maybe another elitist sport is a good thing. If kids cant afford to play it, then perhaps they'll stay in school and go to college.

Re:Xenon + Oxygen = Swim in Breathable Gas!

[PhunkySchtuff]

I think you've been huffing a bit too much Xenon yourself - if you even read the Wikipedia article you linked to, you will see that the physical characteristics of Xenon, in particular it's density, is 5.9g/L - water weighing in at pretty much spot on 1000g/L. Now, I'd like to see a gas that's heavier than a liquid, but it's just not going to happen.
What would be cool would be a huge tank full of Perfluorocarbon which is the fluid used in Liquid Breathing systems