Participants in a research study about freeride and DH

[aregal]

My name is Helena Lindahl and I work as a PhD student at the University of Umeå in north of Sweden. My PhD project is about how we, as consumers, form and express our social identity trough different ways of consumption and how we relate to things and places as a way to express that identity. I have chosen to focus on the freeriding and downhill subculture, since it is, in my opinion, a rather materialistic subculture. I also chose freeriding and downhill because I’m a keen biker and this way I can combine my hobby with my work.

I need two different types of people to interview. The first type of participants (about five people) should be active and keen downhill or freeride bikers. They should vary in age, biking experience, other interests etc. I need both boys and girls.

The second type of participants (about five people) should be people that have quit biking for a while either because they for example hurt them self badly while biking or otherwise, they had a kid, they moved a way for a while etc. I also need people that have quit biking for good.

What I can offer in return for your help is a hopefully interesting discussion and also a T-shirt with the logo Åre Bike Park on it (which is my home bike park; www.arebikepark.se). The interviews will take about an hour.

I will visit Whistler August 31st - September 10th. Please send me an email if you want to participate.

Helena

[stillgoing]

Good idea, but interviewing only at whistler will only provide you with a polarized view of the mtb/freeride community.

I also worry that you have already formed an opinion about the 'materialistic subculture'.

I'd suggest doing your interviews, and then driving to north van and interviewing those that ride Fromme. I suspect you'll find much divergence in your results.

[phat-phur-knee]

my vote for group #2 Supervokes
Helena you're young and you're Swedish- this thread is useless without pics

[smoochy]

Whistler and WBP riders can certainly capture a lot of the sport, but interviewing on the north shore has a lot of historical value to it. yellow gate represent!

MTB is a gear intensive sport. materialistic subculture doesn't have to mean that we are parts whores or focused more on equipment than riding.

[nick]

well said, that's like studying american culture in los vegas.

Good idea, but interviewing only at whistler will only provide you with a polarized view of the mtb/freeride community.

I also worry that you have already formed an opinion about the 'materialistic subculture'.

I'd suggest doing your interviews, and then driving to north van and interviewing those that ride Fromme. I suspect you'll find much divergence in your results.