FAA doesn't care about soaring, and that's fine by me. If you want to fly gliders, don't kill the towpilot and spot your landings. If you want to teach flying gliders that's about the extent of it as well as far as they're concerned. In Germany you need to take months of ground school to fly gliders. Careful complaining that gummint hain't big enuf. Our rules have been in place since before 1975 and I think they're fine.
Hawaii accident pilot was not an instructor nor acting as such. Fake news.