SAM Magazine-Mount Prospect, Ill., Aug. 31, 2006-Wonder where resort prospects are likely to reside? The density of snowboarders is twice as high in California and New York as in other states; skiers are twice as likely to call New Jersey home than other states, according to a new report from the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA).

The "Sports Participation in 2005-State-by-State" survey indicates how likely it would be for a person in a given state to participate in a specific sport or activity. In the NSGA index, the national average for each sport or activity equals 100. Snowboarders in California, with 11.4 percent of the nation's population, have an index of 203--which means that Californians are approximately twice as likely to snowboard as Americans as a whole. New York (6.6 percent) is even more into snowboarding, with an index of 213. For both states, those are the only surveyed sports and activities with indices of 200 or more. New Jersey skiers have an index of 200, and are the only group to reach that number.

There are some interesting tidbits in the survey regarding off-season resort activities, too. Among the larger states, Michigan (3.5 percent of the U.S. population) and Illinois (4.3 percent) both score high on off-road mountain biking: Michigan with an index of 202, Illinois with 198. New Jersey tallies an index of 147 in this category. Illinois also ranks high for paintball, with an index of 151.

In compiling this study, NSGA analyzed state-by-state participation for 37 activities, from aerobics and archery to golf and scooter riding. The complete survey is $285 for NSGA members, $325 otherwise. For more information, call 847-296-6742 or e-mail info@nsga.org.

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