The relationship between serious leisure characteristics and recreation involvement: a case study of Taiwan’s surfing activities

This study explores the relationship between serious leisure and recreation involvement by treating the former as a type of personal characteristic. Questionnaires were distributed to 434 Taiwanese surfers, and a structural equation model was used to examine the causal relationships among the variables. Research results show that a higher level of serious leisure characteristics leads to higher levels of recreation involvement for recreationists. Findings of the relationships between dimensions show that a higher level of perseverance leads to a higher level of attraction, self-expression and centrality-to-lifestyle; a higher level of career pursuits in their endeavours and a strong identity with their activities lead to a higher level of attraction and centrality-to-lifestyle; and a higher level of unique ethos leads to a higher level of attraction and self-expression. Managerial implications of this research, with respect to operators of water recreation activities, are subsequently discussed.