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By pablog
#386717
miraclepieco wrote:While those who pontificate on camaraderie and sportsmanship languish in the LZ nursing a beer, the serious fliers are 100 miles downrange, still milking everything out of that last thermal as the sun sets.
I don't see any contradiction between camaraderie and flying 100 miles. Some 100 milers may look at you (me) from above, as some beer nursers also do. I personally prefer to look straight into the eyes. Being above is anyway a temporary circumstance, we'll all end grounded :wink:
By once&future
#386728
One of my favorite quotes from his book that always stuck with me,

"I'd rather hit the ground at 70 miles trying to go 250 miles than watch the sun set and run out of lift at 190 miles"

You can decide if this attitude made him one of the greatest pilots, an inspiration to many trying to improve their XC skills, or a total asshole - or maybe all three...
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By W9GFO
#386753
Vrezh wrote:Oh boy oh boy,
he got ripped apart by Jillian Barberie and John Phillips
I got the sense that Rich was being sincere, while the radio hosts were only concerned with putting on a "show". They had no intention of having an intelligent discussion. It was clear that they had an agenda from the beginning. No room for nuance in drive time radio. Their job was to rag on this horrible lawyer who wants to set murderers free, which would have the average moron cheering at each dig. :punch:

It is very sad that so much of our population just eats this stuff up.

You don't deny parole to a person because you hate them, you keep them there to protect the public. There was no argument made that LVH is a danger to anyone, only arguments of what horrible a crime she committed. I stopped listening a little over halfway though the program. I can only take so much idiocy. Please let me know if something was said after that point which would conflict with what I have written. It would surprise me if there was, but I concede that it is possible.
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By Skyvine
#386776
miraclepieco wrote: The passion to be the very best isn't for everyone. That's why there's only one FIRST PLACE.

This applies to not only to hang gliding, but everything else in life, from hockey or golf, to the world of business. It's played out not just in the National Championships, but at every flying site, every day, year round. While those who pontificate on camaraderie and sportsmanship languish in the LZ nursing a beer, the serious fliers are 100 miles downrange, still milking everything out of that last thermal as the sun sets. They are those who break records, win meets, become legends, and are both envied and hated by lesser fliers.
While I agree with your first sentence about passion to win, it has been my experience that "those who pontificate" on basically anything tend to get distracted by the pontificating vs. just doing it. I don't agree that pilots who focus on achieving results, whether in competition with others or just realizing goals set for themselves, are "both envied and hated by lesser fliers." That may be true for a few pilots, and Rich Pfeiffer tended to bring out more of the latter in many pilots.

However, in the HG comps I flew with Rich, he made it his business to harass and play mind-games with any and all pilots he felt might be a threat to him. No worries, it's a competition after all. There were also plenty of pilots who beat Rich in competitions, and who were friendly, supportive, and open with sharing techniques that would help others get to goal. They were confident in their own abilities, and that allowed them to be genuinely nice people despite the environment of a competition.

No one has to act like an a-hole to be a top competitor. A little ego comes with the territory in a consistent winner, but there are a whole lot more nice and friendly winning competition pilots I have met than the few memorable a-holes.

Set a task before you launch, and see if you can make it. Just go fly!
Cheers!
By janetfdoss
#389254
Comet wrote:Like it or not, the Constitution does guarantee everyone legal representation.
You are right about it. I also think like that.
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By HangDiver
#389264
Skyvine wrote:
in the HG comps I flew with Rich, he made it his business to harass and play mind-games with any and all pilots he felt might be a threat to him.

No one has to act like an a-hole to be a top competitor.
Like threatening mid-air collisions with anyone who flew against him.
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By butchpeachy
#389267
HangDiver were you ever on the Green Team?

Rich would create tension on the ground with BS games. He would also over tension his glider and tell us he could barely turn it so watch out.. Rich would bluff but I never hear him threaten to mid air anyone,

I was at goal when Rich came in to goal in Owens Valley.
As he circled down to land he was yelling to everybody in the LZ.
"My arm is dislocated and I need help to land. Catch Me!"

We ran out and caught the one arm landing Rich. In the LZ, Rich popped his shoulder back in. Rich won day and went on to win the meet.

Rich naturally had high energy and maybe some chemical help at times. He could be a pain in the ass and yet charming and funny.

I liked him and he was the guy to beat which I did, but only infrequently.
Butch