Team Effort

For me, whether the contest is a Regional, National or World Championship, there's always a sense of emptiness when it ends.  In Leszno, the infield is barren. Trailers, competitors, families and crews are gone and the glider assembly area is as it was four weeks ago:  empty and quiet.  The intensity and energy that exudes from thirty teams at a World Championship is amazing to feel and observe. When it is suddenly gone, well, that's where the feeling of emptiness comes from. Team USA, and all the others, have struck camp. The preparation, planning, the work of the crews, the pilots and the contest organizers is over.  The Championship officially closed and the National Flags have been retired. Three World Champions have their trophies and our sincere admiration and congratulations.

Don't get me wrong about the emptiness.  It is filled, overwhelmingly, by the efforts of the US Team Crews:  Mark Townzen, Don Coder, Paul Weeden, Ben Mayes, Gena Tabery, Rick Sheppe and Christian Streifeneder. Colin Meade gave me and the Team great assistance and support every day, whether driving out on course to make weather observations on one task leg or another, or rigging, retrieving or whatever was necessary.  Greg Swiderski was very valuable as our Team translator! Everyone signed the task area chart and we gave it to Greg in appreciation of the fact he's the only one of us who can pronounce any of the towns depicted thereon. I know that each US Team Pilot flew his best each day. Never any let down, no excuses, they went out everyday and flew their best.  

We leave our team mates, soaring friends and the new friends we've made in Poland. We think about the things we did right and the not-so-short list of ways to improve.