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Surfing is a unique water sport that is often engaged in for its own sake and as such, could provide insight about self-motivated participation in physical activity. With this in mind, the experience of Flow, as a measure of peak experience, was investigated with a group of recreational surfers. Twenty surfers who were at beach locations and engaged in surfing, completed the Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2). In addition they were asked questions about the number of days they surfed each week and to also give a self-rating (1-10) of their surfing ability. For the group, Autotelic Experience was the highest self-reported dimension (p = .02). The number of days spent surfing each week, correlated with the dimensions of Challenge-Skill Balance (p = .04) and Time Transformation (p = .04). Self-rated surfing ability (Likert 1-10) was found to be related to Merging of Action and Awareness (p = . 002). Younger surfers (18 - 30 years) reported higher scores for Autotelic Experience when compared to those 40 - 60 years (p = .04). The state of Flow represents the pinnacle of positive psychological state and provides information about motivation to participate. These findings about Flow and surfing further inform our understanding of those attributes and experiences that sustain positive and lifelong physical activity pursuits.
The physical activity known as surfing is a water sport usually performed in the ocean. It involves riding along the face of a wall of water known as a wave; wherein, the goal involves a length of time, various manoeuvers and mostly a sense of enjoyment (Brisick, 2004). Surfing has no clear origin. It is said that it may have begun in the South Pacific where swimmers rode waves to the shore, or when fisherman were anxious to make dry land during a storm. It is impossible to say who first experienced the thrill of wave riding, however the activity itself is documented as far back as 2000 B.C, when canoes were used for migration by Pacific islanders (Finney & Houston, 1996).
Skilled surfboard riding was first reported in Hawaii, where boards were crafted especially for this reason. Surfing as an activity mostly evolved around major social and ritual activities, with surfboards being carved from trees and constructed in order to...