Ok, for you and Wilbur, I have been around the sport for many years (started in the early/mid 70's).

Did the basic, kid learns to fly, starts getting away from airport, does off airport landings, gets license, eventually becomes CFIG to "give back to the sport", worked on badges (gold "C" with 2 diamonds, all from SE NY), numerous regionals, a few nationals. I would go XC in a 1-26 just as often as an ASG-29, I didn't care, I was flying.

I don't fly contests right now, haven't for maybe 6 years.

Why?

To start, it has NOTHING to do with the contest rules then or now. Period.
A lot was time, my job entailed a lot of work travel, this meant when home, I had things that needed to be done, wife that wanted to spend time with me (imagine that), 2 kids that wanted to do things with me (also imagine that).

We did all go to our airport, wife would do some things with other wives while I flew, my kids would fly with me, one got to the point of getting a private glider license.
Kids ended up doing other things, I still didn't fly as much as I wanted/needed.
I flew enough to "be safe", marginal on being decent on XC, no where near what I consider good enough to be competing, both for myself as well as others in the air I was flying with.

I either own or have access to a great selection of aircraft. With enough current flying, I would like to compete again, I do enjoy the flying as well as being with the majority of the contest crowd. This is the pilots, their families and all the people on the ground that put on a contest.
I started contests when we all had sectionals with rings on them for distance, cameras as flight proof, waiting hours as film was developed, most people didn't have electric varios (I thought an audio vario was VERY cool to have!). Last contest had GPS, flight computers and moving maps, FLARM, again, really cool stuff.

So, for me (again, read my background), to make "soaring great again" has absolutely NOTHING to do with rules that we used to use or currently use.

I can't/won't speak for others, I can only speak for myself.

I will say that I'm glad I fly in a club that PROMOTES XC and badge flying.
I'm also glad I have the aircraft access that I have.

Maybe if more locations do what our club does as well as ACA, HHSC and others, it can turn things around.

But I think the "broad brush stroke" of what is wrong with the sport is just as wrong. That is my opinion though.

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