I've been following this thread with complete astonishment that anyone
could consider the conduct of the Ventus pilot praiseworthy in any
respect. There was simply no way for this pilot to assess the
airworthiness of the glider after the collision. Just because the
visible portion of the nose appeared to be intact does not mean the
glider was undamaged elsewhere, or even that the nose was airworthy.
Taking this risk in the name of a competition that is ultimately
meaningless is not only unbelievable, it's a detriment to soaring,
which is already in jeopardy in many areas. Someone with such poor
judgement has no place in our sport. "Careless and reckless" are the
words the FAA will use to remove this pilot from the community. I'd
go with "stupid." There is simply no excuse for what this individual
did.