As a publicity stunt, the ball symbolizing the Cubs pennant jinx was purchased by Harry Caray's Restaurant and arrangements were made for a public spectacle of its destruction, but it was not until 24 hours before the event that a broker came looking for coverage.

Looking back, Rick Lindsey the president and chief executive officer of Prime chuckles over the fuss over the risk.

“Everybody got worried about exploding the ball and the damage it could do,” he recalled. Mr. Lindsey did some checking and found the blowup was being done by a veteran Hollywood pyrotechnician who prepared for the event with 10 test explosions.

The blast itself, he said, “was more like a sparkler going off than an explosion. It was kind of silly they worried.” Mr. Lindsey said his firm covered the event for a half-hour. He did not reveal the price, but commented “the market was kind of tight at the time.”

Mr. Lindsey's company seems to attract all manner of risks that seem off the beaten path or, in one case, the well-trod beach.

A longtime client is the world's only underwater hotel, the Jules' Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Fla. a facility that was converted from a former Naval research laboratory. Guests must scuba dive 21 feet to enter the premises.

The insurer also provides coverage for Casey Dale, a bungee jumping expert who makes arrangements so daredevils can leap from helicopters into the mouth of a volcano.

Mr. Lindsey said Prime will be insuring Mr. Dale when he provides the expertise for a talk show host's planned jump into a crater for his 50th birthday.

They also cover a British company that makes high tech explosives used by ski areas to knock loose snow buildup that could cause avalanches.

To underwrite such unconventional items, he said the company gathers as much information as it can and may require signed release forms. When it needs to he said the company is not afraid to contest claims, but “the execution is important- we don't take bad cases to court.

He noted that many oddball risks get presented and when brokers get the price “they just don't happen.”

One risk exposure that occurs regularly at rodeos and other cowboy celebrations in Oklahoma, Texas, Nevada and Colorado is a cattle drive of 50 steers belonging to the historic longhorn breed that sport wicked 6-foot long horns. The animals frequently trot along the busy streets of a parade route.

Don Matheson owner and vice president of Figley Salz and Company Inc. in Woodward, Okla., who secured coverage for the drive, said the animals are the property of Wes Sander who operates Chain Ranch Longhorns LLC in Woodward.

But, for all their history as a creature of the Wild West, the longhorns are apparently a pretty docile bunch. Mr. Matheson said in all the 10 years he has been involved with their coverage there have been no stampedes and no losses.

At one point a steer attacked a 1999 Ford van, but the Elks Rodeo event that the herd was appearing at elected to pay the claim, Mr. Matheson said. Liability Insurance for the drive is provided by Wellington Specialty Insurance Co. in Scottsdale on a per parade basis. There is a $500 deductible.

John Finnegan, president of the Macomber Farr & Whitten agency in Augusta, Me., is also involved insuring the public viewing of animals. “I feel like Dr. Doolittle,” he said, describing his involvement with the Maine Livestock Exhibitors.

The event, like a county fair has creatures of every description, but Mr. Finnegan said there have only been two claims, “one was an escaped goat. A woman went after it and broke her leg.” A horse bite was the other.

Mr. Finnegan places the event with American Bankers. He said he has a concern about rabbits, whom he has learned can give a mean bite. There have been no claims so far, “but watch out,” he said.

“My specialty is insuring people,” said Jonathan Thomas, which explains why a few years ago he briefly took on coverage of a British wine expert's taste buds.

Mr. Thomas, a divisional underwriter for accident and health at Canopius Managing Agency with Lloyd's market, said the policy was taken out as part of a promotional effort by a United Kingdom supermarket chain that wanted to hype its ability to sell good wine.

The insured was the concern's wine taster Angela Mount and her taste buds were insured for ?10 million, ?500, 000 of full coverage and ?9.5 million “for the loss of her tongue by physical separation,” he explained, adding “her being decapitated was excluded” along with sword swallowing accidents.

Mr. Thomas said the firm got a lot of publicity mileage out of the ?10 million taste buds.

Among other well-publicized people and body parts Mr. Thomas has covered have been Mark McGwire and his deteriorating ankle. Mr. Thomas said his firm took on the coverage in 1998 when McGwire hit his record 70 homers after normal sports disability insurers wouldn't take the risk.

Mr. Thomas said he only insured one part of the ankle and Mr. McGwire was required to play with it taped and wearing an orthotic insert for his shoe.

Cornerback Kevin Smith had a lower leg problem when the Dallas Cowboys signed him, with provisions for bonus money if he played beyond a certain number of games, Mr. Thomas said. So, the athlete took out insurance with Canopius against a lower leg injury preventing his fulfilling his contract. “He had a really good season,” recalled Mr. Thomas.

He also recounted providing coverage related to Princess Diana. At the time a South African soap company was using a Diana look alike for a 500,000 million rand ad campaign so they had vested interest in the looks of the royal personage. Mr. Thomas said the company insured against the princess becoming sick or dying.

Joseph Carig, office manager at Andrew G. Gordon Insurance in Norwell, Mass. said a client who called to insure an aerial photography business surprised him with what the coverage actually involved. The risk did not sound particularly unique- at first-until Mr. Carig learned that the aircraft involved was a model helicopter.

The insured used the model with a camera strapped on to take pictures of homes and other locations for local realtors. “Not a large account by any means, just one I had not ever come across,” Mr. Carig said in an e-mail.