The Cultural Politics of Lifestyle Sports (Routledge Critical Studies in Sport)

Belinda Wheaton's new book makes a really important contribution to the study of socio-cultural change by focusing upon the political promise of lifestyle sports and on sporting life outside the global north as well as at more privileged sites. Her work is nuanced and sophisticated in its analysis of the complex intersection of the axes of power as played out in sport in contemporary societies. In a study of the fast expanding field of lifestyle sport, which is both scholarly and accessible, Wheaton presents a critical and innovative approach which will be of enormous value to students and researchers. - Kath Woodward, Professor of Sociology, The Open University, UK

A state-of-the art examination of research and thinking about sports such as surfing, parkour, windsurfing, skateboarding. The book deals in important ways with contexts such as race and place, and with issues such as social inclusion/exclusion and the environment; adds new insights to our understanding of lifestyle sports; and provides a solid platform for future research on these forms of sport. - Peter Donnelly, Professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Canada

Since they emerged in the 1960s, so-called lifestyle sports have offered a radical alternative to mainstream, hyper-commercialized competitive sports. But what happens when new sports cultures are no longer new? Are they inevitably compromised, commodified and institutionalized? Do such forms of physical culture still offer modes of cultural resistance to dominant paradigms? In her brilliant new book, Belinda Wheaton answers these questions. From the beaches of Durban, South Africa to Southern California and beyond, Wheaton shows how the emergence and global diffusion of lifestyle sports are complexly bound to questions of identity. As empirically rich as it is theoretically sophisticated, The Cultural Politics of Lifestyle Sports is the definitive text for anyone interested in understanding the history of lifestyle sports why they matter today. - Ben Carrington, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin, USA