quote:Making use of a modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft, ZERO-G provides thrill-seekers that free-fall feeling so enjoyed by astronauts. The firm’s "G-Force One" plane makes roller coaster-like maneuvers in the air with dives and pullouts repeated numbers of times for paying customers.
ZERO-G has been looking at a variety of weightless sports, said Peter Diamandis, chairman and chief executive officer of the company. The group has been approached by a range of individuals and companies having an array of ideas for space sports, he said.
Out-of-this-world wrestling
"From my standpoint, I think watching World Wrestling Entertainment where the competitors are wresting both during the zero-g and 1.8g portions [of flight] could be a lot of fun," Diamandis told SPACE.com.
Onboard the company’s aircraft, passengers have already played weightless dodge ball and tag. In addition, the company has been approached about zero-g gymnastics and a zero-g fashion show, Diamandis added.
"This past fall, ZERO-G was used in the premier of season two of the TV show, The Biggest Looser. For this airing the producers created a competition where teams needed to gather colored plastic balls that were released and floated free. It was a very successful competition with great visuals," Diamandis noted.
Paraball champions
Busily working on the idea of microgravity sports is Rocky Persaud, President of IPX Entertainment Inc., with offices in Toronto, Canada and Houston, Texas. He plans to create a show called "Space Champions" - a reality TV show focused around a game created specifically to be played in zero gravity.
"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.
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