Im all for growth of SSA contests. We have 37 at ours (www.r6n.org) and expect to hit our max of 45 by mid March. Im not sure what the number was but the SSA leaders were very concerned about the numbers. If we are doing well, im truly glad to hear it.

Not to be overly pessimistic but I see alot of Regionals in the single digits. Agreed on Nationals declining. I think the handicapping will really improve things as would an east/west format.

In hope that some of the strengths of OLC type competition might be considered for SSA contests. I think simpler rules in general might be very attractive to newer or OLC and sometimes contest pilots. The FAI & SSA move to handicap classes is smart but reactive & not proactive. It is also quite late and needes to happen 5 yrs ago. I suspect a bolder move (simpler formats) might pay big dividends. Worth a try perhaps.