A comparison between mainstream and action sport industries in Australia: A case study of the skateboarding cluster

TLDR

The action sport industry is a high‑growth sector that attracts Generation Y consumers, yet its supply side remains poorly understood. The study compares the skateboarding cluster to mainstream sports, focusing on facility provision, program development, pathways, and the roles of suppliers, councils, and program developers. The skateboarding cluster evolved organically and chaotically, with entrepreneurs exploiting its open, boundary‑less, risk‑loving environment to build a highly profitable industry.

Abstract

The action sport industry is a high growth sector that attracts the lucrative Generation Y market. Although there is a growing body of literature that examines the characteristics and traits of the Generation Y market as consumers of action sports, little is known about the supply side of the action sports industry. This paper illustrates through the example of the skateboarding sport cluster, that this sector has evolved in an organic, almost chaotic manner very different to that of the mainstream sports industry. Entrepreneurs have taken advantage of the open system, the lack of formal boundaries and the risk loving nature of the market to grow the sector into a very profitable industry. The paper specifically illustrates the differences to mainstream sports in relation to provision of facilities, program development and pathways and the roles of suppliers, councils and program developers.