Hottest Outdoor Sports

[ski diva]

Outside Magazine just listed what it calls the five hottest (as in fastest growing) outdoor sports, as well as the five that've declined the most. Don't ask me how they got these figures (maybe gear sales?), but it's interesting, nonetheless:

Let's start with the bad news. Less than half of Americans surveyed by the Outdoor Foundation participated in some form of outdoor recreation in 2011. But here's the good news: Participation in outdoor recreation is at its highest level in the last five years. The annual Outdoor Recreation Participation Topline Report estimates that almost half of the United States population over the age of six, or 141.1 million individuals, went outside to run, hike, ski, etc. at least once last year. The total number of outings, 11.6 billion, increased by 1.5 billion from 2010.
Some sports did better than others. Predictably, the most popular outdoor activities for adults were fishing, running, camping, bicycling, and hiking. But you might not be able to guess which sports gained and lost the most in terms of participation. Here's quick look at the five hottest and coldest outdoor sports last year.
5. Trail Running: Nine percent increase
4. Telemarking: 15 percent increase
3. Stand Up Paddling: 18 percent increase
2. Hunting (Bow): 19 percent increase
1. Kayaking: 27 percent increase
NOT SO HOT
Sports that saw the biggest percentage declines in participation over the last three years.
5. BMX Bicycling: 18.8 percent
4. Scuba Diving: 19.8 percent
3. Climbing (Sport/Indoor/Boulder): 23.5 percent
2. Skateboarding: 25.4 percent
1. Climbing (Traditional, Ice, Mountaineering): 29.3 percent

Which of these do you enjoy?

 

[Pequenita]

Well, I'm a reflection of the trend: in the last 5 years, I've picked up trail running and stand up paddleboarding and dropped climbing (sport/indoor and trad) for the time being...part of the reason is that I can just go trail running and paddleboarding whenever I want to; don't need a partner to do them. If I want to climb, I need a partner. All of mine have moved, and I'm not in the mood to find new ones right now.

 

[Jilly]

Is Telemarking also know as Geo-caching?

I do want to try SUP this summer. The local kayak manufacturer had some on scratch and dent sale last weekend, but I couldn't make it there.

 

[Moongidget]

None. I guess I'm neither hot, nor not!

 

[ski diva]

I've kayaked, but that's it. Stand Up Paddling looks like fun, though. I may have to give that a try.

And Jilly, telemarking is free heel skiing (or maybe it's calling people to sell them things....no, that's telemarketing ).

 

[altagirl]

I telemark, but I've been doing that for at least 6 years or so? Used to trail run, but my knees don't like running anymore, so I've quit doing that. And a couple of my friends and I keep tossing around the idea of buying archery gear, though that would be for target practice, not hunting. We've all been watching too much Walking dead and whatnot. Hehe. I did buy a rifle so we can go to the range together. So I guess if that counts as a sport, that's the latest thing that I've spent money on. That and yoga stuff. Which is quite a combination. :P

As for the other side of the list: I have a friend who just got his SCUBA certification like a week ago, and lots of friends who climb, but those are all people who have been climbing for a long time.

 

[whitewater girl]

kayaking (of course)...theoretically telemarking, but didn't do much of that this year (or any other skiing)...hiking, cycling, camping...would like to try SUP...yep, I guess I'm pretty average (at least according to that article)

 

[Kimmyt]

25-29% decrease in climbing!? Sweet! That means the crags should be less crowded... right?

 

[abc]

I have no idea about the one decreasing. I never did them.

But on the increase, I think there's a bit of "lies, damn lies, and statistics". When you have a very small base, a "20 percent increase" only takes a couple hundred! I guess I'm thinking of the increase in SUP, which starts from ZERO 10 years back!

We know kayaking and telemarking is getting very popular. My guess on trail running is the road runners are getting old and their knees can't take the pounding of the pavement any more so trail running, which is less repeatetive, is the natural alternatives.

I've been kayaking since 2003, and that is not even counting the years when I white water kayaked. So I wouldn't have contributed to that statistics. On the other hand, I did buy 2 used boats, whose owner probably went out and bought new ones to replace the one they sold to me. So perhaps I did contributed in an indirect way...

 

[Jilly]

I guess we just call it Telemark up here, but all the other sports seems to be summer, so I thought it was something else. Can I call it a blonde moment??!

 

[abc]

I guess we just call it Telemark up here, but all the other sports seems to be summer, so I thought it was something else. Can I call it a blonde moment??!

You're not alone. I thought they were something else too!

I would have thought the proper term is Telemark Skiing.

(Funny my firefox browser's spell checker red flag telemark! It doesn't even recognize it's a proper word! It suggests telemarketing)

 

[mustski]

I'm a geek, I guess, because I don't do any of those regularly. I do kayak on occasion with friends, we water ski or tube mostly. I have tried paddle boarding, but my guys prefer boogie boards and surfing. We are still at the snorkeling stage and haven't progressed to scuba. I married a mountain biking guy and learned to ride ... the easier trails anyway; we still do that.

 

[gr8outdoors]

I kayak occasionally, but that's it. Someday I will try the stand up paddle board - it's on my bucket list.

 

[vanhoskier]

Well, I'm a reflection of the trend: in the last 5 years, I've picked up trail running and stand up paddleboarding and dropped climbing (sport/indoor and trad) for the time being...part of the reason is that I can just go trail running and paddleboarding whenever I want to; don't need a partner to do them. If I want to climb, I need a partner. All of mine have moved, and I'm not in the mood to find new ones right now.

Wow....that's just like me! I used to climb quite a bit, sport and trad outdoors, and about 4x a week at the gym. But finding climbing buddies got more difficult, because mine, too, moved away (Australia)! The last time I climbed was in Los Alamos 2 summers ago.

I started trail running, using Vibram Five Finger shoes. It's been a revelation. My regular running shoes gave me hip pain which has gone away since I started wearing the FF's. But I can't run that far yet...only 4-5 miles. I'm not a very good runner, but I'm working at it!

Paddle boarding is SO fun! I just ordered a race board, and I'm going to a paddle boarding camp on Oahu this summer! Can't wait! I may try to do a few races later in the summer, just for fun. There's one in DC that looks interesting! I used to white water kayak every weekend, but I don't miss it at all.

 

[marta]

I'm picking up surfing this summer, and I'm in loooovveee. So as practice I'm actually back on my skateboard on a regular basis because it's a great balance tool. It lives in the trunk of my car full time now. It's fun to change parts and what not (ski gear tinkering = skate board tinkering LOL) We got one for my 8 y/o nephew and it was his absolute favorite birthday gift. Still popular here! Although at age 8 he already could tell our wheels were way better than his... uh -oh!

 

[whitewater girl]

I used to white water kayak every weekend, but I don't miss it at all.

should I mention some folks are using SUPs on the Lehigh Gorge & Mongaup...

 

[Jilly]

I'm all for trying SUP!!