Some comments re the apparent decline in "Contest" flying :

Our club ( Central Indiana Soaring Society ) runs a year long contest
each season using rules based on a similar contest system run by the
Chicago Glider Club . No less than Seventeen
( 17 ) contest days were flown in 2008 . Of the Fifteen (15 ) pilots
that participated only 4 have flown sanctioned contests in the US
previously, and only one ( ZA ) still flies them each year .
Obviously no one is presently looking to make the US teams but all
enjoy " contest " flying, and it seems that within our club contest
flying is alive and well . In my opinion a number of these pilots
could do well in Regional contests .
If feedback is sought, perhaps someone ought to ask the folks in
Chicago and other clubs like ours why the pilots are happy to fly
contests "at home " but not at SSA sanctioned events .
The accent in our club is on keeping it very simple , and obviously
it's very inexpensive . A recorder is needed ( any kind that can be
downloaded ) and all gliders are scored using the SSA published
handicaps. I think these are some of the main factors that attract
the contestants.
While not all the participants seek to make the "big times" in soaring
I am convinced that every one of them have greatly improved their
flying skills learned from participating in the club contest and would
actually do quite well in Regional Contests , if they could be
attracted to enter .

Ron (ZA)