US National & World Records Require US Pilots to Hold FAI SportingLicense issued by NAA

The hierarchy of FAI to SSA has to run through the NAA. This is the way records are administered Internationally. The FAI only recognizes records that have been submitted through each country's National Aero Club. In the US, that is the NAA. It is not possible for a soaring record to be submitted directly to the FAI, unless it goes from the SSA to the NAA and then to the FAI.

As far as the FAI Sporting License, that is pretty much up to the individual discipline (AMA, SSA, USHPA, etc.) as to whether it is part of the membership dues. The cost is probably prohibitive for the SSA to offer to everybody, so if you want records, you have to pay the SSA $45, or $50 to the NAA. That is for a one-year license, so the 14 day argument is irrelevant. Apply at the beginning of the season and don't worry about it.

In most parts of the country, that is about the cost of a tow, or less. Other fees can definitely be prohibitive, so record flying may not be for everyone, just as sanctioned competition does not necessarily appeal to all pilots. The cost can be a major barrier to these endeavors, but asking the rest of the sport to subsidize a few pilots' efforts is also inappropriate.