A BSTRACT The complex experience of kayakers on an adventure tour is explored through the attributes and qualities of Stebbins' concept of serious leisure. Serious leisure is related to Bourdieu's term 'field' or, more descriptively, a 'way of thinking', which provides a theoretical framework appropriate to understanding adventure tourism experiences. The paper is based on observations of participation, conversations and in-depth interviews with nine tourists on a 14-day white-water kayaking package tour of the South Island of New Zealand, in February 2002. Analysis of the resulting field notes and transcripts of interviews and conversations revealed an interpretation of the participants' experience and their understanding of this experience which, although embedded in the images and language of adventure, is focused on serious leisure attributes of personal challenge, status and safe success. The conclusion of this paper is that the package adventure tour experience can be a significant marker in serious leisure careers.

Definitions of adventure tourism and the supposed motivators for the experience of adventure tourism focus on the concepts of risk, danger and adrenaline. Risk and danger relate to a potential for injury and loss. Tourism on the other hand indicates fun, exciting events and safe experience. The focus of this article is to explore the relationship between participants’ emic experiences and the adventure tourism theories prominent in current literature. This exploration is based on observation of participation, conversations and in-depth interviews with nine tourists on a 14-day white-water kayaking tour of the South Island of New Zealand in February 2002. The interpretation of these tourists’ experiences, their understandings, and the response to these stories expand the scope and importance of concepts prominent in adventure tourism. Participants play with the reality of their experience through stories of freedom, identity and status.

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