A True Adventure: An Examination Into How Flow Can Be Attributed to Skiing and Snowboarding Experiences

The purpose of this project was to examine Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s “flow theory” in a context that can be applied to adventure educators for further research. The research was specifically designed to be applied towards skiers and snowboarders that are interested in the theory of flow. The hypothesis states that flow will be felt depending on: the emotional feelings felt by the participants, the difficulty of the ski run, and the perceived levels of risk that the participants felt. Subjects examined were either skiers or snowboarders who felt confident with their abilities to safely traverse down an expert level ski run at Durango Mountain Resort. In order to assess different levels of flow, subjects were asked to be of clear mind and sober. An informal screening of subjects assumed that the participants were alert and sober. Subjects were given four different surveys which examined three different levels of flow. The data were analyzed using a Chi-Square Test. The results showed that there was strong evidence in association with the alternate hypothesis. The greatest levels of flow were found in participants engaging with a ski run that was within their skill level, but still challenging. The highest levels of flow were found to be on a “blue” (intermediate) level ski run. Ranking in second place, “black” (expert) level ski runs were found to be more challenging, therefore placing participants in a panic-like stage. “Green” (easy) level ski runs were found to be too easy, and therefore participants were possibly feeling bored