Sosiodemografia, urheilusatsaaminen sekä lajin alueellisuus urheilupaikkasuunnittelun tukena : Tapaustutkimus rullalautailusta pääkaupunkiseudulla

Skateboarding has become a part of Finnish cityscape. This sport does not have old roots in Finland and there is a little statistic about the hobbyists. I study skateboarding in the metropolitan area. My goal is to have a diverse review about the skateboarders and its regionality. I have four viewpoints: socio-demographics, hobby investing, motivations and appreciations and regionality. Through these points I look into skateboarders profile as hobbyists and their regional behavior. The report will give more concrete tools for the planning stage of sport construction. The research data consist of results of a questionary. Answers were collected at the Helsinki metropolitan area in the winter and summer of 2012 from the skateboarders over 15 years old. The data is quantitative. I process the data with descriptive analysis and geoinformatic methods. The main results are represented with tables, graphic presentations and maps for the conclusions. Regardless of the crumbling prejudices the skateboarders in many ways represent the middle or the upper class type Finnish man. Skateboarding is not perceived as serious sport but its sport culture is centered on the middle ground of recreation and the waves of new body culture. The prime concentration in skateboarding is to evolve and improve one's performance but social dimensions are also found important. Skateboarder wants to meet friends and acquaintances at skate spots. Skateboarding is more than a hobby as they feel that skateboarding is part of their extensive lifestyle. Hobbyist is committed strongly and comprehensively to the sport. I have analyzed the regionality of the use of skate spots through Bale's sport hierarchy. The location factors of a skateboarding place are in an essential role while determinating the success of a skate spot. The decision where to skate is not though limited by its location out of the skateboarder's residential area or at the city centre. The logic behind the choice of place with skateboarders lies behind the concept of supply of services where the level of service supply defines the amount of time one uses to travel on a skate spot. Skateboarder travels over municipal boarders over a suitable skate spot. These places are mainly places with high level service supply. Helsinki represents a major and magnetic role for the skateboarders at the metropolitan area. Yet there is an interface found where the hobbyist doesn't find it worthwhile anymore to travel for skateboarding. The study of skate spot's supply of services gives us useful references about the skate spots ordering at the metropolitan area. This can be used to determinate what type of places can serve into different division of regions. The research points out that there are regional behavior patterns found within skateboarding. The hobby is vital and the skateboarders are ready to travel over municipal borders. The results confirm the understanding that skateboarders are active hobbyists.