A Pilot's Tale

During my peak years in the sport of Hang Gliding the sport and I evolved at a similar pace. The average age of Hang Glider pilots has always kept pace exactly with my age. The technical innovations were implemented as fast as they were conceived causing a rapid devaluation of even the year old models in some years. Also the switching of the top place among manufacturers was caused by intense competition that demanded innovation.
The reason this original innovation came to me was because of need. I had to get a good deal on this glider because I couldn’t afford to get a high performance glider that was in good shape. This was a hot machine made specifically for level four pilots who needed the edge in competition. It was taking all the medals. The Owens Valley Racer was a legend among Gliders. Daryl, who had bought one especially to represent Canada in the World’s Competition, was not enamored with it. He hadn’t done as well as he hoped with it and was blaming the glider. Daryl was a good pilot looking to make a name for himself on the world scene with it. He had gotten Jasper Tramways to put their logo on the glider and sponsor him.
As we cruised up the gravel road, flying round the switchbacks in his Bronco, to test fly the glider, we hauled back on a large black hash joint. Between tokes Daryl laid on his most impressive sales pitch about the merits of the OVR, The speed, the glide, the handling, well you can’t expect good handling from a tweaked glider like this, eh!
“ppppppfffffffffffffffff” I hauled heavily of Afghanistan's black treasure. Unbeknownst to Daryl, his true opinions about the OVR had preceded him by about a week.