Should east coast triangles that use the ridge be discounted ... ?

I recall a long-ago comment from Wally Scott (probably the all-time master of the downwind dash). He felt that the value of the 1000-km Diplome was being watered down by flights that used ridge and wave. He suggested that maybe these should be recognized in a different category from flights done only in thermal lift.

Tom Knauff gave a cogent reply, along these lines: "It will be time to listen to Wally on this subject when he starts flying his long straight-out flights upwind, instead of downwind."