Item: SEGMENTATION OF BACKCOUNTRY SKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS IN JAPAN BASED ON RECREATION SPECIALIZATION: A CLUSTER ANALYSIS
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Title: SEGMENTATION OF BACKCOUNTRY SKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS IN JAPAN BASED ON RECREATION SPECIALIZATION: A CLUSTER ANALYSIS
Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026
Authors:
- Masashi Nagai [ Tokyo Women's College of Physical Education, Tokyo, Japan ]
- Nao Yoshizawa [ Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan ]
- Yasukazu Hama [ Independent Researcher, Kanagawa, Japan ]
- Masanori Take [ Toyo University, Tokyo, Japan ]
Date: 2026-09-28
Abstract: Backcountry skiing and snowboarding (BCSS) involve serious mountain hazards such as avalanches and falls, requiring participants to manage risks appropriately. In recent years, participation in BCSS in Japan has increased due to abundant snow conditions and growing inbound tourism demand, making safety an important issue. Previous studies have primarily focused on safety measures at the regional or community level, while perspectives that examine participants as heterogeneous groups and consider differences in their characteristics remain insufficient. Therefore, it is necessary to segment participants appropriately and to consider approaches to safety management and education based on their characteristics. Although recreation specialization has been widely used in recreation research as a framework for explaining involvement in activities, studies that systematically segment BCSS participants based on its multidimensional components remain limited. This study aimed to segment BCSS participants in Japan using the multidimensional components of recreation specialization and to describe the structural characteristics of the resulting groups. An online survey was conducted with 1,309 participants in Japan. Three dimensions were measured: behavioral (experience and participation frequency), cognitive (skiing and climbing skills, avalanche knowledge, and equipment specialization), and affective (attraction, self-expression, and centrality in daily life). Scores were calculated for each component, and cluster analysis was performed to segment participants into distinct groups. The analysis identified six clusters. The behavioral and cognitive dimensions showed broadly corresponding patterns across clusters, reflecting the accumulation of experience and the development of skills and equipment specialization. In contrast, the affective dimension did not necessarily co-vary with these dimensions and showed a relatively independent pattern. Multiple clusters had similar levels of behavioral and cognitive specialization but differed in affective involvement, and one cluster was characterized by particularly high affective involvement despite relatively lower experience and equipment scores. These results indicate that BCSS participants in Japan cannot be adequately explained by experience and skill alone. Instead, they are differentiated by multidimensional profiles that also include affective involvement. This heterogeneity may also inform targeted safety communication. These findings provide a basis for developing more targeted avalanche education and information provision that account for differences in participant characteristics across clusters.
Object ID: ISSW2026_P1.29.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790098761
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Masashi Nagai
Keywords: Backcountry skiing, Recreation specialization, Cluster analysis, Participant segmentation, Japan
Page Number(s): 984 - 990
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