Plexball latest ‘casual’ extreme sport
A pair engage in a version of sumo wrestling while playing Plexball at Iceoplex at Southpointe.
A girl flips over in her bubble ball during an hour of scheduled free play at the Iceoplex at Southpointe. Plexball is a new sport where competitors are encased in a bubble from their head to the knees to allow them to run, play soccer, flip and play other games.
During an hour of free play at the Iceoplex at Southpointe, a group of teens compete in a game of soccer. A schedule for Plexball can be found on the Iceoplex’s website. It costs $15 for individuals to play or $300 to reserve the area for an hour for a group.
Most extreme sports enthusiasts have to stick to the stands or play vicarious versions in video games. But teens as short as 4-foot-9 can now strap into a giant plastic bubble to sumo wrestle, flip, jump and shoot soccer balls by playing Plexball, the latest walk-on and group rental offering at the Iceoplex at Southpointe.
“It requires a lot of agility and strength. People flipping and bouncing off of each other, but it’s a lot of fun,” said Iceoplex Marketing Director Mandi Pryor.
Pryor also serves as referee in the variety of games Plexball can serve. After a mixed group of teenage girls and boys suited up with knee pads, foam helmets and the nearly 6-foot-wide clear, plastic globes, they shook off their nerves with a bit of “open play,” a euphemism for going out and just running into each other. Several tumbles and minutes of belly laughter later, the group was set to begin its first game: soccer. The Plexball variation on the sport allows competitors to dip, duck, dive, dodge and tackle each other as they seek to kick the ball in the opposing goal. Good luck doing that with any expectation of exacting control over your body, Pryor said.
“It’s hard to get a sense of balance in one of the balls. You can’t really see more than a couple feet in front of you. It’s like being in a mascot costume. But the best thing to do is get low, scoot your knees up close and together, and keep your balance,” she said.
The toppling and tumbling can be a bit intimidating, despite the echoing laughter in the Iceoplex’s all-season arena. A few teens sat out the lunchtime session after seeing the action, but Pryor said tall adults should be the ones who take pause.
“The height limit goes up to about six-two. You can play if you’re taller, you’re just probably going to get banged up on your legs a bit more because that’s what will be exposed,” she said, “so maybe try out a demo of the balls first before committing to an entire session.”
Plexball came to the Iceoplex at the beginning of July, and now offers group rates for as many as 12 simultaneous players for $300 an hour. It is $15 for individuals to play an hour during scheduled free-play time.