At contests that I attend, we have pre-paid for 2,000' agl tows. Why get off any lower? There's a chance of getting off lower and missing the thermal, then having to work like crazy to get back up to release height, all before the gate has opened. I don't want to have to work before the gate opens; I just want to relax a little and save my concentration to spot the other gliders that are out there. They are marking thermals, so there isn't a need to pull the release below the 2,000' agl mark.

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA