US Competition Pilot Poll and Election

On Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at 6:40:58 PM UTC-4, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot) wrote:
Figures, you MISSED my original intent, it was NOT a discussion of racing or contests, it was word usage.

Most of the "soaring planet" goes to "glider contests/competitions", while there may be racing,it is not a given.
We have a CD at these events.
Sometimes racing is involved.

You, Sean, have provided a platform for glider racing. I think it's worth changing the main rules guy title to Racing Director, so people understand the difference.
I would HATE to have you deal with contestants that wanted a competition but only had races.

A bunch of us go to the HHSC Snowbird competition, no speed involved, can't say I have any real complaints.

You want a race, go to a race.
You put together a race, have a Race Director, otherwise, you may mislead someone........sucks to be you.

While I have competed for a couple decades in US soaring competitions, I have not for a few years.

I only replied to this thread when the time limit on it was about done.

You want a race, you have one.
Others in the US can do your race, or do competitions.

As to US rules vs. FAI rules, that is another thread.

Charlie, I honestly have little idea what you are trying to say in your post above. But I do appreciate the response. Please allow me to try and respond in a very heartfelt way.

I think you are claiming that US sailplane racing is not racing? It's a competition and therefore not a race because the guy who sets the tasks and governs the event is the "contest director" and not a "race director?" Is this correct? Let us look at a few other "racing sports."
- The people who run the Tour de France are called officials. Is the Tour de France not a race?
- The people who run a Formula One race are called officials. Is Formula One not racing?
- The people who run the America's Cup competition are called the event authority or event directors. Is Americas Cup not racing?
- The person in charge of a rowing competition is also called the director. Is rowing not racing?

Regardless, citing the name of the event leaders title as containing the word "competition" (the event) and not "race" (the individual parts that make up the event, contest or competition) is fairly pointless.

But I do agree with you on one thing. The absolute fact that US soaring "competition" (especially US!) is NOT racing. We do not race gliders in the USA. Even though many like to try to refer to US contests as containing "races" or "racing." Or that a TAT task is a "race?" Or a MAT being a race. How silly. Amazing right? What is the matter with these clowns? Calling a US contest task a race! LOL. ;-)

You are spot on Charlie. US contests have never been racing, at least for as long as I have followed it. I have been saying this here for several years now. Oh, how the US rules/tasking "good old boy" crowd hates it when I do. But so what. They need to hear the truth from time to time. The truth is that US "contests" have morphed (and continue to morph) into something much closer to OLC (or perhaps tiddlywinks) than a racing sport. For many of us this is very sad. We want to race, at least some of the time.

I can't tell you how many times I have tried to explain our sport to friends or colleagues. Just this week I did a TV interview. It was great fun and as always, explaining the experience of soaring was wonderful. Explaining the competition format and task (not assigned, the other crap) was absolutely painful. In fact, the producer almost immediately edited the timed, pilot option tasks out of the interview. They were horrified by the concept I think. What does that say to us? The fact is that non-glider pilots (even many glider pilots in fact) usually cannot make sense of the US gliding competition. Of course, Sailplane Grand Prix is immediately understood and exciting to spectators and friends.

We conduct nearly zero glider racing in the USA. You absolutely nailed it. You have me, dead to rights. Even our event/contest official is called the "Contest Director" and not a "Race Director. How about "Time/Distance Accumulation basically anywhere you choose to go, Director?" That would be more accurate. Would that title be better for you? How about Tiddlywinks director? US tasking is, almost exclusively now, a "distance/time" accumulation game with a high degree of chance. It's boring as hell.

Again, you are absolutely right Charlie, US tasking, US contests, US glider "competition" is absolutely NOT racing. Most US pilots are actually quite terrified of true racing or assigned tasks. This is sad. They squirm in their chairs when assigned tasks are called and lobby for the "B (TAT) task" almost immediately. I have watched this often with mild amusement (but mostly sadness and frustration). I really do think that our US tasking (despite great intentions) is a major part of the reason that the sport of soaring has suffered so much decline in recent years here in the USA. Especially when compared to ALL OTHER SOARING NATIONS (outside of the USA) which compete under FAI tasking (50% assigned tasks).

Young people want to race! They love racing bicycles (road, mountain, etc).. The love racing sailboats. They love racing in track events. The love adventure racing. They love racing on ski's and snowboards. They love racing period. Can you name a successful, thriving, growing sport where the name of the game is..."go out and get as much mileage as you can in three hours?" Oh, by the way, you will probably never see another competitor during that time. Isn't that exciting? Remember, you are NOT racing. You are at a contest! See, that guy over there, he is named the CONTEST DIRECTOR. Never say the word race again! Oh, and you'll have to wait 3-4 hours to see your score. Oh, and the scoring will be on some obscure website that nobody will ever care about (especially your friends). The results will not be presented on any social media channels, ever. No excitement. No reports of the event, at all. A big snooze. Boring. S T U P I D! But good luck with this Charlie. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe US contests are amazing and I must re-double my efforts to convince myself that a HAT task is awesome. I promise to try.

FAI sailplane racing, on the other had, IS racing on any "competition" day with suitable weather. That is their way. And generally, their definition of suitable is realistic. They use starting lines and finish lines. They love assigned tasks. Assigned task RACING is what they (competition directors and the competitors (RACERS!)) are hoping for when they get up in the AM and check the weather. They are disappointed when a TAT must be called. The want objective racing, not "chance tasks" aka TAT. A MAT would be met with pitchforks, ridicule, and intense laughter. FAI events run roughly 50% (or greater) assigned tasks in fact. And their AT is not the "US perversion" of the assigned task with its variable distance element (no longer a race around a set track).

If wanting to race gliders in the USA is wrong, I don't want to be right. The tasking we compete under here the USA today is an utter disgrace to all sports. 3% assigned tasks (don't forget this is the extra distance optional US rules version). 97% of US tasks encourage significant pilot option, "chance tasks."