Don, if you survived the '70s hang gliding you are either one tuff guy, or just very lucky. Boy were those early contraptions not very safe ha ha. I learned on a WW Duck180 - what a first glider ha ha, stiff and uncombersom he he, I had my share of whacks with that, doesn't have much of a flare window. My second glider was, and I still have it, a Seedwings Sensor B model Full Race. It does not have a keel pocket, has VG and four half battens per side. It is one of the best thermal gliders I've flown, but also tricky to land, and those flexible tips will not sustain the energy for loops ahem. Then came a WW AT158, I still have this glider, but it's in Denmark where a friend has tryed to sell it for 5-6 years now ha ha, I'll bring it back home next time I go there. Then I had the WW Ram Air, what a screamer. Pull in to where other gliders would do 35, this one did 50, pull in where others would do 50, this one did 70-75 and tracked like an arrow, but slow speed - vg off suffered.
Where in California did you fly? Do you know Rob and Di McKenzie in San Bernadino, I learned from Rob, Crestline is a great local flying place to me, exept I don't fly any more.
DKjens