A team of researchers at Yonsei University in the Republic of Korea have published a study that found skiers showed a higher level of pleasure and involvement in their sport than snowboarders did. 

Here is more on the research from springer.com. 

“The researchers surveyed 279 visitors at three major ski resorts in South Korea. They measured the level of happiness and satisfaction of skiers and snowboarders by assessing their sense of pleasure, their level of flow or engagement in the activity and the sense of involvement and satisfaction they subjectively reported after the winter activity.

They also found skiers showed a higher level of pleasure and involvement in their sport than snowboarders did.

The new study demonstrates how various elements, such as being deeply involved in an enjoyable activity, can enhance a person’s positive outlook on life. The findings are in line with the thinking of positive psychology that physical activity in sports helps people and communities to flourish.

“Together, these findings support the research model synthesizing the behavioral constructs of sport participation with subjective well-being perspectives,” the researchers wrote in the journal. “Moreover, the expanded model in a sporting context further evidences the functional roles of the orientations to happiness by results consistent with extant literature of positive psychology.”