I too wonder where this sport is headed when I see
1/4 million investments in ship & motorhome at our
contests. Little wonder we don't attract new blood
to this sport when newcomers see what is perceived
as 'rich old men, playing airborne polo'.


JJ-Don't forget the part about these same guys have
a bunch of spare time...

This subject gets batted around on a somewhat regular
basis here, I don't begrudge those with the bucks and
time to do what they choose. And for that matter,
I suspect this situation has always been present in
the sport. Pilots can choose whether to enter the
arms' race, or go sports class or 1-26, or not race.
How much time and energy we members want the SSA
to put into high dollar racing...is something we can
discuss as a group. I recently read an article on
the Seniors Contest in Soaring...and the author started
the article stating he though the SSA was making a
mistake not being more supportive of this type of racing.
I don't necesarily agree with that author...but that
is for another thread.