Participants\u27 Experiences in Two Types of Sporting Events: A Quest for Evidence of the SL-CL Continuum

The dichotomy of serious leisure (SL) and casual leisure (CL) has significant limitations, leaving some leisure experiences unexplained. The SL-CL continuum proposed by Shen and Yarnal (2010) aims at filling this gap by providing a description based on behavioral commitment. We present evidence supporting the SL-CL continuum obtained by comparing participants in two different types of sporting events: an international/major and a national/minor event. Quantitative data on leisure motives and identity, corresponding to four SL and two CL characteristics, were collected from self-administered questionnaires. Both samples reported moderate to high intensities across the characteristics. However, international/major participants were more serious and national/minor participants more casual in their leisure experience. Participants were not effectively described in terms of the SL-CL dichotomy