Outdoor Industry Foundation completed the 2007 edition of The Next
Generation of Outdoor Participants which takes a holistic approach to
analyzing the activity of the life-cycle of consumers who participate
in outdoor sports. In the first edition of this study, OIF identified
several “gateway” activities, which include bicycling, camping,
fishing, hiking and running/jogging/trail running. In 2006,
participation in all five of these activities increased compared to
2005 levels.

Looking at the younger generations, ages 6-17, and bicycling is the
most popular outdoor activity, followed by running/jogging/trail
running, then skateboarding, fishing and wildlife viewing. This is
slightly different from the overall American population, where
running/jogging/trail running tops the list followed by bicycling,
fishing, skateboarding, and wildlife viewing.

The report also highlights the fact that participation in at least one
of the 35 outdoor activities covered drops off considerably as outdoor
industry customers get older. Over the course of two years, 79% of the
youngest age group, ages 6-12, participated in at least one outdoor
activity at least once. By the age of 25 that percentage has decreased
to 52% and by the age of 55 it has decreased to 41%. In particular the
biggest drop-off in participation is among teenage females. Roughly 77%
of girls in the 6-12 year-old age range participated in at least one
outdoor activity, while only 54% of girls 13-17 years old participated.
By age 18, that number declined to 52%. Juxtaposed against male
participants of the same age ranges and the participation rate declined
from 76% to 74% and then down to 60% at age 18.

When compared to other active pursuits, outdoor activities show mixed
results. Declines in participation by age are similar compared to ball
and team sports, but outdoor activities have a higher percentage of
participation among the youngest age groups, so the overall
participation rate remains greater. In addition, the decline in ball
and team sports participation is greater in the 13-17 year-old age
group than it is in outdoor activities. The report also outlines
overall participation rates by activity in the outdoor industry and
other active pursuits. This is the first report that reflects the
cooperation between OIA, SIA and SGMA to create a comprehensive study
that looks into consumer behaviors in the active recreation economy. As
such, it delivers a much broader view into which sports and activities
are capturing the public interest and driving the industry.