Skill Level and Recreation Conflict among Skiers and Snowboarders

Abstract

This paper examines out-group and in-group normative beliefs about unacceptable behaviors (conflict) reported by skiers and snowboarders with varying skill levels. Individuals with greater skills in skiing and snowboarding were predicted to experience more conflict than those with less ability in the activity. Across all skill levels, skiers and snowboarders were hypothesized to report more out-group than in-group conflict. Data were obtained from surveys (n = 595) distributed at five ski resorts in Colorado. Skiers and snowboarders rated their skill level on a four-point scale (beginner, intermediate, advanced, or expert). Multiple item indices were created to measure observed unacceptable behaviors between skiers and snowboarders. Analyses supported both hypotheses. As perceived skill level increased, out-group and in-group conflict increased for both skiers and snowboarders. Within each skill level, skiers reported more unacceptable behaviors by snowboarders than with fellow skiers, and snowboarders also identified more out-group than in-group conflict.

Keywords:

• conflict
• out-group
• in-group
• skiers
• snowboarders
• skill level

Notes

¹ Ancillary analyses indicated that respondents from the five different ski areas were similar on items of concern to this paper.

² Recognizing that recreationists may participate in multiple activities, skiers were asked if they had ever snowboarded and snowboarders were asked if they had ever skied. Each was then asked to indicate if they still participated in the other activity. Since the number of skiers that still snowboarded was low (n = 13), and many (n = 194) snowboarders were once skiers, all respondents were kept in their assigned categories.

¹χ² = 10.0 (df = 3) p < .019; φ = .133, p < .015.

³ A 2-way ANOVA was initially run to examine potential interaction effects between activity (skier vs. snowboarder) and skill level (beginner, intermediate, advanced, expert) on normative beliefs about acceptable out-group and in-group behavior. Although the main effects for each of these variables were significant, none of the interaction effects were significant.

⁴ Labeling these effect sizes as “substantial” is based on the recommendations offered by Vaske, Gliner, and Morgan (2002).

¹Activity was defined as skier or snowboarder.

²Means with different superscripts (within each row) differ significantly at p < .05.

³The effect size is a point biserial correlation.