A comparison between mainstream and action sport industries in Australia: A case study of the skateboarding cluster Pamm Kellett a, *, Roslyn Russell b a Deakin University, Australia b RMIT University, Australia 1. Introduction While participation in mainstream sports has experienced decline in recent years (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006; National Sporting Goods Association, 2008; Scottish Government, 2006; Statistics Canada, 2008), action sports have shown to be a high growth sector of the sport industry globally—both in terms of participation (demand) and delivery (supply) (Bennett, Henson and Zhang, 2003; Janoff, 2005; Parry, 2005). It is estimated that over 150 million people participate in action sports worldwide (Salmon, 2004). Action sports such as Freestyle MotoX, skateboarding, Freestyle BMX and inline skating attract growing numbers of Generation Y (born between 1978 – 1995) participants who enjoy the risky, individualistic nature of the sports, and the culture of irreverence and freedom of expression that they represent (Bennett et al., 2003). The culture and demographics of the participants, as well as the highly competitive corporate interests in marketing and sponsorship (Bennett & Lachowetz, 2004), have contributed to its rapid growth. Although there is some information emerging from the USA about action sport consumerism (e.g., Bennett, Sagas, & Dees, 2006; Stevens, Lathrop and Bradish, 2005), little is known about how this sector (which as noted previously is in high demand from consumers and sponsors alike) is serviced. The suppliers of the sports themselves, the way in which they govern and manage their financial interests within the sport, as well as the lifestyle products that are part of the action sport genre have received little attention. There is a dearth of understanding about how this sector is structured, who the organisations are in the industry that provide participation for consumers, or what the services are that they provide. When Sport Management Review 12 (2009) 66–78 ABSTRACT The action sport industry is a high growth sector that attracts the lucrative Generation Y market. Although there is a growing body of literature that examines the characteristics and traits of the Generation Y market as consumers of action sports, little is known about the supply side of the action sports industry. This paper illustrates through the example of the skateboarding sport cluster, that this sector has evolved in an organic, almost chaotic manner very different to that of the mainstream sports industry. Entrepreneurs have taken advantage of the open system, the lack of formal boundaries and the risk loving nature of the market to grow the sector into a very profitable industry. The paper specifically illustrates the differences to mainstream sports in relation to provision of facilities, program development and pathways and the roles of suppliers, councils and program developers. ß 2009 Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author. E-mail address: pamm.kellett@deakin.edu.au (P. Kellett). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Sport Management Review journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/smr 1441-3523/$ – see front matter ß 2009 Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.smr.2008.12.003