Its true, there are many more numerous opportunities to soar in EU, and I am in no way denigrating the soaring there. The scene in north america is just very different. We have never been blessed with soaring integral to our culture like germany has had. Soaring is just one of many aspects of aviation available to us. It has been private powered flight and the freedom of the home building movement and the aviation entrepenurial spirit that we are blessed with. We can fly dang near anywhere we want, anytime we want. We can build and fly and modify dang near anything we can think up. That freedom exists nowhere else in the world. In addition, we have every type of soaring a guy would want to engage in be it monster wave, increadable ridges and convective conditions second to none except africa and australia. Except here, you don’t need multiple permits from different countries to move and fly in different conditions. IMOP there is no free’r place in the world to fly gliders.