The Late, Great Outdoors
(Page 2 of 2)
September/October 2001
By Keith Goetzman, Utne Reader
Artificial environments have caught on for various reasons, says Professor Alan Ewert, who teaches outdoor leadership at Indiana University. For some participants, they are simply places to train for "real" outdoor experiences. Others are seeking a nontraditional athletic workout in a controlled, safe setting. And a growing number of people are using climbing walls and the like as social gathering spots. Says Athearn: "As the whole climbing gym scene evolved, there ended up being some people who like that environment, and they don’t really climb outside."
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Proponents of artificial environments, which are usually in metropolitan areas, say it’s all about access, convenience, and a good time. "This is a fun sport. Why should we have to drive 200 miles to participate?" says Damon Peters, an avid kayaker and owner of L’eau Vive Paddlesports, a kayak accessory distributor based in Portland, Maine.
Backers of artificial environments often point out that they’re helping expose urban dwellers to outdoor recreation. Gotcha Glacier’s marketing and operations chief, Mike Gerard, told the Los Angeles Times he’s performing a service. "It costs money to get to the mountains," he said. "Snowboarding is a sport with huge growth potential. We just need to get it to the people. I want to see kids of all ages and ethnic groups have a chance to do this."
Ewert says it’s not yet clear whether artificial environments are instilling a desire for real wilderness experience in city dwellers. "We hope that’s happening, but we’re not really sure," he says. What is happening, he believes, is that indoor adventurers are being connected with organizations that can take them to the next step, and they may be more likely to develop an environmental consciousness.
And the outdoors may need some help in attracting new enthusiasts. Athearn points to a recent study that attempted to determine why younger people weren’t as interested in wilderness experiences as the previous generation. One teen responded, "If I’m in the mountains, I’m out of cell-phone coverage, and I can’t do that."
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