A record number of Americans participated in sports or leisure activities in 2023 according to a recent report by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. There was an increasing demand for team sports which can only cement that sense of bonding across communities. America’s culture is steeped in the world of sport and there are new wave pursuits that are growing significantly in popularity.

PICKLEBALL

Pickleball is America’s favorite sport for the third year in a row. It used to be a game for older adults until participation went through the roof in 2019 as  young and old, pure beginners and stars from other racquet sports jumped on the bandwagon.

Such is its popularity, Novak Djokovic warned that it could even endanger tennis. Just a few days before the U.S. Open, the Serb played the HEAD NYC Mash Up pickleball tournament with Jannik Sinner and Wimbledon ladies singles champion Barbora Krejcikova. It could not have been a better advert for driving the game forward in the public sphere.

The sport itself is a cross between table tennis, badminton and tennis and was invented in Seattle in 1965. It has an open play format that makes it accessible to mix and match with many other players and that’s what gives it a social and sporting edge.

ALPINE TOURING

Americans do love their winter sports and snow-capped mountains. Alpine touring, also known as uphill skiing, has certainly been one of the fastest growth sports in the skiing sector, enjoying a surge in popularity after the pandemic too.

However, it is the sense of adventure that alpine touring brings which has given this once hardcore sport a lot more accessibility to the mainstream. There has been significant improvement in the equipment. Moreover, there is no recurring cost of lift tickets or season passes. There is a huge upsurge of 115 per cent in the take up of this pursuit.

THE NFL /AMERICAN FOOTBALL

At the end of 2023, forty-one per cent of U.S. adults said football was one of their favorite sports, well ahead of the chasing pack. The number of U.S. Americans playing tackle football increased in 2023 for the fourth year in a row. In total, around 5.6 million people above the age of six years were engaged in that sport at least once in that year.  It is no wonder given that football has been the most popular sport for over 50 years. Is it any wonder that NFL standings have as much popularity in the recent opening games as Kansas City Chiefs started their campaign to try for a third Super Bowl on the spin.

SNOWBOARD TOURING

Americans who went snowboarding in 2023 reached their highest figure since 2010. However, there is a hybrid that is bringing even more people to the slopes called splitboarding, which essentially  combines the wow factor of fast-paced snowboarding and the tranquillity of cross-country skiing. The real utility of the splitboard is that it splits in half to convert into a pair of skis, offering more activities but without the need to find all of the extra equipment. 

OFF-COURSE GOLF

The off-course golf range or simulator has become a public phenomenon in the United States. Venues such as Topgolf, Golfzon America and PopStroke Entertainment Group are making golf accessible and bringing many of those who like to have the fun of hitting the ball without walking after it back to the experience of enjoying the real thing eventually. 

Therefore, not only is there a boom in the off-course market but there is also a significant crossover into packing the clubs into the car for the real 18 holes. – The interest in taking up the traditional game is five times higher among “non-golfers” with off-course experience. Even so, there is a huge spike for those who prefer a more adventurous round that doesn’t include getting wet or losing balls in the water.

WINTER FAT BIKING

Riding a bike on the snow almost seems illogical to many but that problem has been solved with the invention of the fat bike. Sales in these bicycles have increased hugely by almost 70 per cent. They are specifically designed to open new terrain which would be impossible to cross with just a mountain bike.

Fat tire biking enthusiasts are not afraid to hit snowy trails, knowing that the landing is softer and that they can navigate the terrain more easily with the wider tires.

America has a love affair with sport and that feeds into how fans and spectators value their own experiences when they are playing it for fun or for competitive socializing.  The great outdoors has always been something in the DNA and now that pent-up energy of being inside has created a whole host of modern sporting pastimes.