The functional differentiation of the printed surf magazine in the digital age of leisure reading

This study utilises media substitution theory as the primary theoretical lens to investigate whether the leisure reading of printed surf magazines remains influential in surfing subculture in the face of digital media disruption. Using a mixed methods approach, data were derived from an online survey of 1039 Australian surfers followed by 17 semi-structured interviews. Comparisons were made between participants from the generational cohort Gen-Z and a
combined cohort of older age groups. Findings revealed that despite Gen-Z’s habitual social media use, this generational cohort of Australian surfers has low levels of trust in social media
and high levels of trust in surf magazines. The reading of surf magazines was found to exert influence on individual and group identity. Conclusions around the functional differentiation of surf magazines in this digital age reveal how and why the reading of surf magazines remains integral to the subculture and overall success of the surf industry. The findings are relevant to scholars interested in sport media leisure reading, the media channel choices of Gen-Z, as well as industry practitioners that target lifestyle, youth and niche leisure sport markets.