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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Another difficulty to this mess is
regionalism and national “competitiveness”. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Two examples…<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Back in ’91…flying Sportsman
(Now intermediate) we had a crop of VERY competitive flyers. There were
10-12 traveling pilots going to every contest, duking it out. The top
spots were consitantly held by 2-3 guys that dominated, but there were 3 or 4
others that were tight and not far behind. Any of 8 could win a
particular round. Those 2 or 3 ALL pointed out…lots of people
at each contest provided lots of points and back then we had 8 or 9 local
contests plus a few “must travel too’s (the mint coming to mind).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Then came the nats…and our star
pilots got their collective BUTTS kicked. I think the top guy finished 12<sup>th</sup>.
Bottom line…we all sucked. No one should have moved up. The
“points” were being awarded relative to the gang…not relative
to actual skill.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Then there’s 1997…
Flying advanced…we had another big group, with 3 of us always battling
for each round. Finishing often within just a few points of each other,
but in this case, one guy always on top. Winning every contest that
season, so HE pointed out, but no one else. Again, the nats came…we
were expecting to do ok, but were fearful of another “education” on
how this is done, only this time the opposite. We all did
well…finishing 1<sup>st</sup>, 3<sup>rd</sup>, and 7<sup>th</sup>. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>In this case…everyone should have
been forced to move up (we all did), but only one had too.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>So how can we force a “move”
just because someone is doing well locally?? National standing…the
only real measure we have, doesn’t count.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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