The Business of Lifestyle Sport 3 4 Ryan J
Chapter 3 1 2 The business of lifestyle sport 3 4 Ryan J. Gagnon, Garrett A. Stone, 5 Bob Brookover, Barry A. Garst, and 6 Spensir M. Mowery 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Introduction 14 In the United States there has been a noticeable trend away from participa- 15 tion in many traditional, mainstream sports and a corresponding surge in 16 both viewership and participation in alternative sports and leisure pursuits 17 (Active Marketing Group, 2009). Paralleling these changes, there has been 18 an increase in scholarship investigating alternative or lifestyle sports (Booth 19 and Thorpe, 2007; Tomlinson, et al., 2005; Wheaton, 2004). Specifically, 20 as lifestyle sports have gained more attention, questions regarding their 21 structure, governance, and resulting impacts on both individuals and com- 22 munities have been raised (Wheaton, 2004). In response to this growth, 23 this chapter narrows its focus to the economic impacts and trends associ- 24 ated with lifestyle sports. In many cases, branding lifestyle sports as risky, 25 adventurous, or alternative has positioned them as desirable commodities 26 (Wheaton, 2004) and, therefore, potential commercial competitors to 27 mainstream sports. With that in mind, governing bodies, participants, and 28 the communities they interact with ought to be concerned with the eco- 29 nomic impacts of lifestyle sporting events, facilities, and general participa- 30 tion. That said, while traditional or mainstream sporting events are known 31 to contribute in meaningful ways to visitor spending, increases in tax- based 32 revenues, and subsequent job creation, the economic profile and impact of 33 lifestyle sporting events is relatively unknown.
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