صحت و سقم نبرد در ورزش های اکشن: یک دیدگاه صنعتی مبتنی بر مورد   The ‘‘authenticitude’’ battle in action sports: A case-based industry perspective

1. Introduction Since the early 1990s, there has been a rapid growth of the action sports industry, although quite chaotic compared to themainstream sport setting. Action sports have expanded significantly, but not too long ago marketers realized the powerfulconnotation the terms alternative or action hold, especially for youth markets. As far as their relative definition is concerned,action sports are ‘‘an eclectic collection of risky, individualistic, and alternative sports such as skateboarding, BMX biking,surfing, street luge, wakeboarding, and motocross’’ (Bennett & Lachowetz, 2004, p. 239). They have also been termed extreme,alternative, lifestyle, whiz, panic sport, post-modern, post-industrial, and new sports (Rinehart, 2008; Thorpe, 2006; Wheaton,2007). Among different expressions commonly used to describe activities that either ideologically or practically providealternatives to traditional sports and mainstream values (Rinehart, 2008), the representative and all-encompassing termaction sports is utilized throughout this paper. During the past decade, television and corporate sponsors recognized the vast potential of action sports in attracting ayoung male audience (see Bennett, Henson, & Zhang, 2003). As such, mainstream companies instantly sought to associate with the alternative and extreme ‘‘do-it-yourself’’ image of the rider/boarder to cross-promote a variety of products, such asapparel lines and cultural events (Gonzalez, 2011). Media corporations, including ESPN and NBC, have capitalized on thegrowing popularity of action sports via events such as the X Games and the Mountain Dew Action Sports Tour. For instance,ESPN’s X Games are televised in approximately 200 countries. In 2013, the event was hosted in Brazil, Germany, and Spain aspart of the network’s global expansion (‘‘ESPN International Fact,’’ 2013). In relation to the indisputable growth of actionsports globally, Kellett and Russell (2009) noted that the action sports industry has seen an organic and almost chaoticgrowth in comparison to mainstream sports, as they often function outside a formal business environment. Interestingly,there are few barriers for entry into the action sports industry due to the absence of leagues or governing bodies regulatingaction sports, a fact that constitutes both an opportunity and a challenge for the action sports world (McKelvey, 2012). The evolution of action sports has triggered a growing interest of younger consumers and their parents in sports that havean alternative and unconventional character and ethos. This increasing popularity has resulted in mainstream athleticcompanies diversifying their products in order to portray an authentic image and capture a share of this lucrative business.Nike, for example, has repeatedly attempted to break into the action sports setting. Before releasing its skateboarding line in2002, Nike marketed skateboarding shoes twice and failed. Donnelly (2008) discussed how the company faced formidablechallenges entering the skateboarding shoe market due to affiliation with mainstream sports such as basketball and baseball,and their lack of association with skateboarding. To this end, Grayson and Martinec (2004) noted consumers may becomesuspicious or reserved if they perceive elements of authenticity have been purposefully manipulated for making profit. Thedifference now is that Nike has a limited distribution to skate shops, it sponsors grassroots skateboarding contests, andseveral of Nike’s staff members in skateboarding are recruited from the core action sports industry (Gomez, 2012).