| Sporting goods can help you pursue your passion | | | | the largest percentage increase the industry has |
| for any kind of sport. Whether you love extreme | | | | achieved since 1997. The country imported even |
| sports like cliffhanging and racing; or outdoor | | | | more sporting goods in 2005. |
| sports like mountain climbing, wall climbing, or | | | | Shipments of sports apparel rose to about $24 |
| hiking; or even regular sports such as basketball, | | | | billion. Shipments of athletic footwear went up |
| the breakthrough technology of sporting goods | | | | almost three percent to almost $10 billion. The |
| can make your game better and more | | | | demand for fitness equipment also increased by |
| importantly, safer. | | | | about four percent to almost $4 billion - and about |
| Development of Sporting Goods | | | | 80 percent of this growth represents home |
| Factory sales of sporting goods have been | | | | equipment exercise. Golf equipment sales also |
| growing steadily since the early 1990s, according | | | | rose to $2.5 billion (or by about three percent). |
| to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. | | | | The same is true for hiking and camping |
| Economists attribute this to the fact that this | | | | equipment shipping, which increased by three |
| industry is better positioned than others to | | | | percent to almost $2 billion. |
| withstand economic recessions. People are | | | | Future of Sporting Goods |
| becoming more and more health conscious, and | | | | Manufacturers of sporting goods are continuously |
| they tend to spend a bigger portion of their | | | | trying to outdo each other through advanced |
| incomes on sports activities. | | | | technology. High-tech sporting goods now employ |
| In fact, the United States importation of sporting | | | | nanotechnology, but there are still concerns about |
| goods rose four percent in 2004, to $52.1 billion - | | | | the safety of nanoparticles. |