Bob.. I was thinking along the same lines....I was not real good, did not really have competitive equipment, or the skill to use the junk I had....effectively
BUT in the Oakland Bay area was a LOT of weekend contests...Mom (while dad was in Viet nam) drove me to a few
One local contest I did not Miss (in your sense) BUT I did MISS--- due to a 1970s Ford LTD station wagon (SW)....4 siblings, and "Beast" the female Gordon setter...acquired at my birth and was my puppy/dog as the eldest son...
On the way to San Jose... I forget the venue or contest... MY three Enya .35 5442 Mongoose planes were totally destroyed by my dog and family screwing around in the back of the SW... ...I was maybe 15~16
This about 1971, and I totally forget who all was there, BUT do remember the Hobby shop fliers advertising the event and the several (Magazine hero) fliers who would be there
As I recall, this was not the typical weekend contest--- but a bigger event for Calif Regional standings... I had zero expectations of doing well, but still could have gone back to my neighborhood school yard and combat buddies and still been a hero for loosing my ass to someone like Dick Mathis
So even just watching, I had a blast
Back in the school yard I told very believable lies about my losses...
I know low character points for this admission,,,,,, BUT I was just 16 in Oakland/Berkeley Calif... were you expecting the honorable citizen I (much later) eventually became???