Nature-Based Extreme Sport Participation and Eco-Sensitivity: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study in South Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68191/spora.v1i2.52Keywords:
eco-sensitivity, extreme sport, flow, mindfulness, ature connectedness, outdoor recreation, risk managementAbstract
Nature-based extreme sports are often framed through sensation seeking, thrill, and voluntary exposure to risk, yet this framing can obscure the meanings participants attach to prolonged engagement with demanding natural environments. This study explored how experienced South African participants interpreted the relationship between nature-based extreme sport participation and eco-sensitivity. In this article, eco-sensitivity refers to participants' reported environmental attention, affective connection with nature, recognition of ecological dependence, concern about degradation, and efforts to reduce personal impact. A qualitative design using interpretative phenomenological analysis was applied to semi-structured interviews conducted between 29 April and 4 July 2019 with 10 experienced participants, five men and five women, who represented 11 nature-based extreme sport activities and reported two to 22 years of experience. Four interconnected themes were identified: risk as a managed component of participation; connection rather than conquest; sensory sensitivity and experiences consistent with mindfulness and flow; and eco-sensitivity and self-reported pro-environmental orientation. Participants described risk as something to calculate and manage through competence, preparation, and situational judgement. They also described respect for natural forces, heightened bodily and environmental attention, and a stronger sense of ecological dependence. Reported pro-environmental practices were self-reported and were not independently observed. The findings provide an interpretive account of how participants made sense of environmental meanings within prolonged outdoor sport involvement. They do not establish a causal developmental mechanism. The results suggest propositions for athlete education, outdoor recreation management, environmental learning, and future longitudinal research.
Keywords: eco-sensitivity; extreme sport; interpretative phenomenological analysis; nature connectedness; pro-environmental behaviour; risk management.
References
Akçakese, A., Demirel, M., Yolcu, A. F., Gümüş, H., Ayhan, C., Sarol, H., Işık, Ö., Harmandar Demirel, D., & Stoica, L. (2024). Nature relatedness, flow experience, and environmental behaviors in nature-based leisure activities. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1397148. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1397148
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822–848. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
Brymer, E. (2010). Risk taking in extreme sports: A phenomenological perspective. Annals of Leisure Research, 13(1–2), 218–238. doi:10.1080/11745398.2010.9686845
Brymer, E., & Gray, T. (2009). Dancing with nature: Rhythm and harmony in extreme sport participation. Journal of Adventure Education & Outdoor Learning, 9(2), 135–149. doi:10.1080/14729670903116912
Brymer, E., & Gray, T. (2010). Developing an intimate “relationship” with nature through extreme sports participation. Leisure/Loisir, 34(4), 361–374. doi:10.1080/14927713.2010.542888
Chawla, L. (1998). Significant life experiences revisited: A review of research on sources of environmental sensitivity. The Journal of Environmental Education, 29(3), 11–21. doi:10.1080/00958969809599114
Cohen, R., Baluch, B., & Duffy, L. J. (2018). Defining extreme sport: Conceptions and misconceptions. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1974. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01974
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row.
Heidegger, M. (1962). Being and time (J. Macquarrie & E. Robinson, Trans.). Blackwell. (Original work published 1927)
Jackson, S. A., Eklund, R. C., Gordon, A., Norsworthy, C., Houge Mackenzie, S., Hodge, K., & Stephen, S. A. (2023). Flow and outdoor adventure recreation: Using flow measures to re-examine motives for participation. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 67, 102427. doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102427
Jansen, P., Hoja, S., & Rahe, M. (2024). Connectedness and sustainable attitudes and behavior in athletes. German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research, 54, 55–63. doi:10.1007/s12662-023-00899-2
MacIntyre, T. E., Walkin, A. M., Beckmann, J., Calogiuri, G., Gritzka, S., Oliver, G., Donnelly, A. A., & Warrington, G. (2019). An exploratory study of extreme sport athletes’ nature interactions: From well-being to pro-environmental behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1233. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01233
Merleau-Ponty, M. (1962). Phenomenology of perception (C. Smith, Trans.). Routledge & Kegan Paul. (Original work published 1945)
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Smith, J. A. (2004). Reflecting on the development of interpretative phenomenological analysis and its contribution to qualitative research in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 1(1), 39–54. doi:10.1191/1478088704qp004oa
Smith, J. A. (2011). Evaluating the contribution of interpretative phenomenological analysis. Health Psychology Review, 5(1), 9–27. doi:10.1080/17437199.2010.510659
Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. SAGE Publications.
Smith, J. A., & Osborn, M. (2008). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. In J. A. Smith (Ed.), Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods (2nd ed., pp. 53–80). SAGE Publications.
Thompson, S. C. G., & Barton, M. A. (1994). Ecocentric and anthropocentric attitudes toward the environment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 14(2), 149–157. doi:10.1016/S0272-4944(05)80168-9
Wilson, E. O. (1984). Biophilia: The human bond with other species. Harvard University Press.
Yamashita, R., Maeda, K., & Takata, K. (2026). From intention to action: A longitudinal study of pro-environmental behavior change through nature-based sporting events. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/09669582.2026.2653025
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Nicolette Human
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
