This book centralizes powerful leisure stories that may otherwise be understood as myths-sometimes recognized, often less so-that circulate in the field of leisure studies, and beyond.

In different ways, each of these chapters alerts the readers to the "absent presence" of myths and mythmaking in leisure research.

Brett Lashua is Lecturer in Sociology of the Media and Education at University College London, UK. Brett's interdisciplinary research spans cultural sociology, youth leisure, popular culture, and media studies, underpinned by interests in cultural histories and cultural geographies.

Simon Baker teaches Architecture at the University of Sheffield, UK, and is Founder and Director at Group Ginger Architects.

Troy D. Glover is Professor and Department Chair of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo, Canada.

Introduction: Leisure Myths and Mythmaking: Introduction to the Special Issue 1. The Myth of the Repack Group: Some Problems and Provocations from an Actor-Network Perspective 2. The Myth of Skating History: Building Elitism into a Sport 3. Creating the Extraordinary: The Social Practices of a Fantasy Event 4. Spring Celebration, Hidrellez: Myth and Play 5. The Crossroads: Selling Your Soul for Rock n' Roll 6. Rural Sport Spectacles: Ice Hockey, Mythologies, and Meaning-Making in Rural Canada 7. Storytelling for Mythmaking in Tourist Destinations 8. Placemaking as Unmaking: Settler Colonialism, Gentrification, and the Myth of "Revitalized" Urban Spaces