I've never flown in a contest other than as a passenger. I have to
tell you that if I had the time and money, I'd give it a shot. That
said, the overwhelming majority of glider pilots do not fly contests.
The high volume of contest related posts (and I really don't think
they dominate the group) are due to the enthusiasm of these pilots.
They love the sport and enjoy pushing their personal limits in a
competitive environment. There are pleny of pilots that enjoy floating
around the home airport simply enjoying the view. Or flying OLC. Or
taking people for rides. That's the great thing about soaring. You
find what you like and do it. Don't be intimidated by hot-shot racing
pilots looking down their noses at you. In my experience, there just
aren't that many of that type around.