This is the first book to examine the role of women in the origins, development and contemporary landscape of snowboarding. Focusing on organised and professional snowboarding, it explores the significance of women as participants, coaches, leaders, and high-profile sport stars. The book explores the history of snowboarding, the organisation of international snowboarding, issues related to facilities, competition formats which are the same for female and male riders, and injury risk, safeguarding, training and coaching. Before the concluding chapter, three elite snowboarders representing different epochs and riding styles – Åshild Lofthus, Stine Brun Kjeldaas, and Kjersti Buaas – are introduced, whose narratives shed light on the main themes of the book. With a broad scope in terms of topics and academic disciplines, from medicine and biomechanics to the social sciences and sport governance, the book is grounded in sociology and gender studies. This book is fascinating reading for scholars and students with an interest in the sociology of sport, coaching, sport management, sport history or interdisciplinary perspectives in sport science, or anybody with a passion for snowboarding.

This book provides the first in-depth analysis of the global phenomenon of snowboarding culture. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, it offers key insights into the sport, lifestyle, industry, media, gender relations, travel, and physical experience of snowboarding, in both historical and contemporary contexts.

Melnick, PhD, Contemporary Issues in Sociology of Sport includes: an exploration of topics and themes that have received limited attention in other sociology of sport texts but have been long-standing social concerns; a review of the attitudes toward female athletes and the anti-homosexual phobias present in sport; an in-depth look at the impoverishment of children's games in America; an overview of high school sport participation; a study of the challenges and benefits of the big-time collegiate sport experience; a critique of television's impact on sport and its portrayal of gender and race, and a review of sport and globalization. Unit I provides the reader with a historical background on the development of sociology of sport and addresses several critical issues about the relationship between sociology, physical education, and sociology of sport.

Mountains bear the imprint of human activity. Deep scars from logging and surface mining crosscut the landmarks of sports and recreation - national parks and lookout areas, ski slopes and lodges. Although the environmental effects of extractive industries are well known, skiing is more likely to bring to mind images of luxury, wealth, and health. In Making Meaning out of Mountains, Mark Stoddart draws on interviews, field observations, and media analysis to explore how the ski industry in British Columbia has helped transform mountain environments and, in turn, how skiing has come to be inscribed with multiple, often conflicted meanings informed by power struggles rooted in race, class, and gender. Corporate leaders promote the skiing industry as sustainable development, while environmentalists and some First Nations argue that skiing sacrifices wildlife habitats and traditional lands to tourism and corporate gain. Skiers themselves appreciate the opportunity to commune with nature but are concerned about skiing's environmental effects. Stoddart not only challenges us to reflect more seriously on skiing's negative impact on mountain environments, he also reveals how certain groups came to be viewed as the "natural" inhabitants and legitimate managers of mountain environments.

Gender equality is one of the founding democratic principles of the EU. However, recent studies of the Federation of Olympic Sports in Europe have shown that women occupy only fourteen percent of decision-making positions in sport organizations. This book presents a comprehensive and comparative study of how various regions and countries of Europe have addressed this lack of gender diversity, discussing which strategies have brought about change and to what extent these changes have been successful. With contributions from leading sport sociologists, covering countries such as Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the UK, it provides a foundation for future policymaking, methodological analyses and theoretical developments that can result in sustainable gender equality in European sport governance. Gender Diversity in European Sport Governance is important reading for scholars and students in the fields of sociology of sport, sport management, sociology, gender studies and studies of organization, management and leadership. It is also a valuable resource for policy makers in the EU, as well as national sport organizations and activists.

Young, white men have dominated action sports for many years, yet women have refused to accept positions on the margins of these unique sporting cultures. Developing in a different context to many traditional sports, girls and women have adopted highly proactive approaches and developed unique strategies to negotiate space alongside their male peers in the waves, skate parks and cityscapes, on mountains and climbing walls, along trails, as well as around rinks. This international collection features contributions from a group of leading and emerging researchers, many of whom are passionate action sport participants themselves. With authors representing a range of theoretical and disciplinary perspectives including cultural studies, sociology, performance studies, media studies, sport for development, and education, this book offers the first collective focus on women in action sports cultures in the past, present and into the future. Ultimately, the book offers a vivid and powerful illustration of the new and ongoing struggles facing women in contemporary sporting cultures, as well as the various strands of activism, agency and politics being performed in the surf, on the slopes, and at the crag. The book will be of interest to students and scholars in the fields of sociology of sport and physical culture, gender studies, youth cultures, sport history, and pedagogy and education.

While gender equality has progressed in many sports since the second wave of the feminist movement in terms of women’s inclusion, participation, and success, harness horse racing has been recalcitrant to change. Gender, Work, and Harness Racing: Fast Horses and Strong Women in Southwestern Pennsylvania investigates the stories of women involved in harness racing to expose how they use the uniqueness of their situation to work for positive change. With stirring accounts of the strong women who are surviving, and sometimes succeeding, in harness horse racing, Elizabeth Anne Larsen’s analysis provides insight for studies of gender and work, occupational sex segregation, and women’s studies.

"Samira has never been the best gymnast on her team, but she has always worked hard and loved what she was doing; but when a torn rotator cuff sidelines her and six months later her shoulder just does not seem to feel right--she discovers snowboarding, a whole new world of speed and excitement opens up before her, and Samira has to decide which sport to commit to."--Publisher's description.

From the concert stage to the dressing room, from the recording studio to the digital realm, SPIN surveys the modern musical landscape and the culture around it with authoritative reporting, provocative interviews, and a discerning critical ear. With dynamic photography, bold graphic design, and informed irreverence, the pages of SPIN pulsate with the energy of today's most innovative sounds. Whether covering what's new or what's next, SPIN is your monthly VIP pass to all that rocks.