Freeriding-Only a need for thrill?: Comparing different motives and behavioural aspects between slope skiers and...

To compare professional freeride skiers (an experienced high-risk cohort) with recreational freeride skiers (a less experienced high risk cohort) and slope skiers (a low-risk sport cohort) in regard to their motives and their reported accident involvement.

Case-control study.

In an online survey, skiers completed the German Sensation Seeking, Emotion Regulation and Agency Scale and the German Accident and Close Calls in Sport Inventory. Freeriders were further asked about their risk-management strategies and their use of safety equipment. For every professional freerider (total 31; 29% female) within the sample, two matched controls (age, gender) were allocated (slope skier and recreational freerider). Univariate analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and Chi-square differences were calculated.

Freeriders showed significantly higher sensation seeking scores than slope skiers. No differences were found in the experience of agency while participating; however freeriders experienced higher agency transfers after the activity than slope skiers. No further motivational disparities between recreational or professional freeriders were shown. Both freeride samples reported a significantly higher accident and close call involvement than slope skiers. Accident and close call involvement was not predicted by motives of participation.

Freeriding might provide beneficial transfer effects as shown through a higher agency transfer, for participants into aspects of everyday life. Nevertheless it should not be ignored that the potential behavioural gain of freeriding is at the cost of a higher risk which is underlined by the higher involvement in accidents and experienced close calls of freeriders compared to slope skiers.