Manufacturing adventure - The buying and selling of emotions

Adventurous outdoor leisure is perceived as those recreational activities t hat pose either a real or perceived threat to participants, in commercial s ettings the risks are minimized but for novice consumers adventure often re tains the intense emotional component that comes with adventure (e.g., navi gating thunderous rapids). Previous discussions of the social-psychological consequences of risk taking have not focused on the novice;yet, social-psy chological implications are present as novice consumers increasingly engage in adventure leisure without the necessary skills and competence previousl y deemed essential to the adventure process. This article provides an ethno graphic description of the emotional components of adventure from the Viewp oint of a novice consumer. Felt emotions are transformed in a social contex t and experiences, not otherwise available to novice consumers, are made po ssible. Interpretations are nurtured and experiences are transformed as ins trumental aims of organizations combine with the desire to feel risk in con temporary culture.