Chip,

I guess it depends on what you are solving for: attendance at a single event like yours or long-term participation in pattern. At least two of the guys that flew your shortened pattern at Arvin did fine on the full-length pattern at Hemet (in fact, Jamie won, Congrats Jamie!). I think you are setting the bar too high for people to get into flying a competition. My goal the first time I flew competition last year was to fly a sequence and have at least ONE maneuver in each sequence NOT be a zero (as it happened, I had set the bar too low for myself so I moved it up to a goal of flying at least one flight with NO zeros and achieved that). I even managed to not come in last (that competition had 5 sportsman competitors) the others don't seem to have been back...

A lot of things factor into the decision to attend a contest:
1. How far is it to drive?
2. Can I share the ride with friends?
3. Can I afford the gas/lodging/etc.
4. Is my plane airworthy
5. Is there fun stuff going on outside the contest itself
6. Does the family have any plans that conflict?
7. Do I have any conflicting commitments (work or otherwise)

I honestly think that the Arvin contest nailed it on a number of these, particularly because of the central location you draw effectively from both Nor and So cal folk and you managed to pack in a bunch of other "fun" stuff. But, to be perfectly frank, if this contest is done again next year and my sequence is cut short, I won't be there regardless of the other fun. I don't usually follow RCU, so Saturday morning was the first I'd heard of this shortened sequence or I wouldn't have bothered to go and would have saved the "bullet" of a trip out of town without the family for a contest that was flying the full sequence.

I honestly appreciate what you are trying to do for pattern here, but based on my own experiences getting into competition just last year, I think you are going about it the wrong way.

Peter+