SGMA reports water sports participation up

NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. – Fishing was the third most popular recreational activity in the nation, and participation was up in 10 of the 11 water sports surveyed, according to the Sporting Good Manufacturers Association (SGMA) in its annual Topline Report, released today.

The report, which was compiled from a survey conducted by American Sports Data Inc., revealed that based on numbers of participants in 2003, age six and above, fishing (43.8 million) ranked behind only bowling (55.0 million) and treadmill exercise (45.6 million) in popularity amongst Americans.

Of the water sports surveyed, scuba diving was the only activity to fall in terms of participation from 2002 to 2003, experiencing a decline of 3.4 percent, while boardsailing/windsurfing was the biggest gainer, jumping 57.1 percent during the one-year period.

Kayaking saw the next largest increase (up 13.7 percent), followed by surfing (11.1 percent), jet skiing (8.6 percent), wakeboarding (6.8 percent), canoeing (6.4 percent), snorkeling (3.2 percent), rafting (2.8 percent), water skiing (2.7 percent) and sailing (1.4 percent).

Here are the top 30 sports activities and recreational endeavors in the U.S, based on participation in 2003 – Number of participants aged 6 and above (in millions).

1. Bowling 55.0

2. Treadmill Exercise 45.6

3. Fishing (Freshwater – Other) 43.8

4. Stretching 42.1

5. Tent Camping 41.9

6. Billiards/Pool 40.7

7. Day Hiking 39.1

8. Fitness Walking 37.9

9. Running/Jogging 36.2

10. Basketball 35.4

11. Dumbbells 30.5

12. Weight/Resistance Machines 30.0

13. Hand Weights 29.7

14. Calisthenics 28.0

15. Golf 27.3

16. Barbells 25.6

17. Darts 19.5

18. Inline Skating 19.2

19. RV Camping 19.0

20. Stationary Cycling (Upright Bike) 17.5

21. Abdominal Machine/Device 17.4

22. Tennis 17.3

23. Ice Skating 17.0

24. Soccer (Outdoor) 16.1

25. Horseback Riding 16.0

26. Fitness Swimming 15.9

27. Hunting (Rifle) 15.2

27. Saltwater Fishing 15.2

27. Target Shooting (Rifle) 15.2

30. Softball (Regular) 14.4

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