Qualitative Research: Analysis of Participant Types in Surfing Sports

Objective: To analyze the types and characteristics of surfers, and to provide references for the development of surfing. Method: A descriptive research method was adopted. Using a simple random sampling method, 40 surfers were selected for semi-structured interviews. The interview data were analyzed using content analysis, and the labels of surfers were extracted and summarized to construct user types. The visualization of user types was completed in the form of a combination of word clouds and tables. Results: The user tags of surfers can be classified into five dimensions: economic status, time conditions, interests and hobbies, physical fitness, and social support. The constructed user types consist of three categories: the frequent surfers who earn money at work, the low-frequency surfers who experience by checking in, and the medium-high frequency surfers with deep interests. Conclusion: The types of surfers are diverse. Individualized and precise incentive measures should be formulated for different characteristics and participation levels of surfers, and corresponding social support systems and resources should be provided to promote the development of surfing.