Make it super simple. Provide one Fox .15 that every one must use. That way the only cheating will be trying to sneak in another Fox .15. Also the event director will/should provide said Fox.
Way ahead of you there, Doc! For sanctioned competition or record trials, engines have to be drawn from the (extensive) collection maintained by Hurl Technical Services, and issued for each event - and, needless to say, returned afterward. This is straight from Rule 3, it is not hard to understand and completely definitive.
The purpose of such a rule is obvious, even from this thread; to preserve the integrity - and I will just say it, the majesty - of The Hurl. It is very tempting for those lesser-versed in the history of the hurl to view it as a simple athletic competition, rather than the solemn and serious recognition of its formative principles. We like to have a good time, of course, but one cannot deny the deep historical and philosophical underpinnings upon which is based. It's out of ignorance, not stupidity but does nonetheless undermine the legitimacy of the competition.
So, these individuals may attempt to increase their score by altering the engine aerodynamics or mass properties, effectively increasing the ballistic coefficient. Typically, this means breaking off protuberances (glow plug electrode, needle valve, etc) and/or filling the engine with some massive material, depleted (we hope ...) uranium* and gold being particularly effective. Naturally, this cannot be tolerated as it undermines the integrity of the competition. So engines for sanctioned competition are issued for each event by Hurl Technical Services to ensure that they are as Duke intended and have the same aerodynamic and ballistic properties.
So, while we always encourage the the Hurling of Fox 15s a fun way to implement an serious moral imperative, we do have to ensure that official records are not sullied by malfeasance or ignorance, so sanction competition, supply appropriate engines, inspect and certify the Hurling Grounds, etc, before a competition is recognized. We would be happy to discuss with the organizers of remote-site Hurls any requirements they might have and are willing to entertain alternative competition sites and events.
Unfortunately, due to the typically and stunningly obvious machinations of one individual, this particular "activity" may result in the desireable outcome of Fox 15s being Hurled, but cannot be sanctioned under the current conditions. In many ways, the participants are victims of this individual, and I certainly hope that everyone expresses their opinions on being innocently embroiled in a controversy that could easily have been avoided.
We hope everyone enjoys themselves, and we hope in the future to work with the people involved to bring their event up to standards. Our most important goal with The Hurl is to *bring people together* in a joyous celebration! In that spirit, this unfortunate incident has suggested just such a special event that would be ideally suited to our New Jersey friends, and may turn this negative into a tremendous positive and create a unique "hands across the water" event. It will require EPA and Coast Guard approval, but expect an exciting annoucement on the details soon through the usual Hurl Committee channels!
As always, of course, thanks for your interest in the international phenomenon known as The Hurl!
Brett
*note that either U235 or 238 has nearly the same mass and are about equally effective at increasing the ballistic coefficient - that's why they are so hard to separate, For our purposes, U238 is slightly better due to the extra three neutrons, so naturally, one way to improve your score/cheat is to separate it out, extracting pure 238 and discarding the useless waste product U235. Here is one photo demonstrating the lengths to which some people go to cheat at a Hurl:
These young ladies in Tennessee are operating the separation equipment.
I would also note that after extensive experimentation, we have discovered that even a worst-case combination of geometry and moderation (i.e. throwing it in the Irrigation slew at the former Woodland Site, or this year, the Napa River) cannot result in a critical mass and thus is not a concern for a criticality accident, at least not using Uranium or plutonium.