Adaptation of Finnish cross-country skiers to climate change
Abstract
Cross-country skiing has a long history in Finland, and it is a part of the national identity of Finns. This study on cross-country skiers’ adaptation to changing climate describes groups of cross-country skiers with reference to their motives forskiing, and their perceptions and preferences on climate change adaptation tools. The data was collected by means of a web questionnaire contacting skiers in ski areas, mainly in southern Finland, and on the websites of ski associations.
On the basis of a cluster analysis, we found three groups of skier types, each of which has different perceptions of means for adapting their skiing behaviour to the decreasing skiing opportunities close to home. One group of skiers, the ‘social
type’ group, placed emphasis on skiing traditions and social reasons. This group is the most liable to give up skiing if the skiing conditions close to home are poor. The ‘outdoor type’ group, whose skiing motives were related to skiing environment qualities (nature, landscape, winter) and the ‘technical type’ group motivated by fitness objectives, were interested in behavioural adaptation, for example, travelling further away and using artificial snow tracks. With a better understanding of skiers’ behaviour, it is possible to identify adaptation strategies
that can help providers of skiing services, such as municipal agencies and the ski tourism industry, as well as skiers themselves, to prepare for climate change.
Downloads
Published
2009-02-01
Issue
Section
Research Papers
License
Authors who publish with Fennia agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. The license of the published metadata is Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0).
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a doctoral dissertation or book compilation), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
How to Cite
Adaptation of Finnish cross-country skiers to climate change. (2009). Fennia - International Journal of Geography, 187(2), 99-113. https://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/3697
.png)



