Oz Report

March 25, 2014, 7:42:39 EDT

Carrying too much?

Heavily loaded trike crashes

crash|drugs|trike

http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/plane-carrying-marijuana-crashes-near-san-diego-1

This image provided Saturday March 22, 2014, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, shows a crash site Friday where Federal authorities said an ultralight aircraft carrying about 250 pounds of marijuana crashed in the mountains east of San Diego.

Discuss "Carrying too much?" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Tue, Feb 2 2010, 10:34:55 pm AEDT

Cocaine in the hang glider

(Pasir Putih jail, Jakarta, Indonesia)

drugs

http://mathaba.net/news/?x=622725

Brazil’s president has appealed to Indonesia for “generosity” in an appeal on behalf of Brazilian hang gliding instructor Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira. The pilot, 48, from Rio faces the death penalty after he was arrested in Indonesia in 2003 for smuggling 13.4 kg of cocaine into the country. The drugs were hidden in his hang glider. President Lula of Brazil hopes the sentence can be converted to 20 years in jail.

Discuss "Appeal of death sentence" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

October 20, 2009, 7:50:46 PDT

Electronic drugs?

Did Apple help her win?

(Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA)

drugs

"Performance Enhancing iPod" Gets Marathon Winner Disqualified

I can't run a mile without being hyped up by music, so I'm glad I'm not a marathon runner. After being declared the winner of Milwaukee's 26.2-mile Lakefront marathon, Jennifer Goebel was stripped of the title because she… used an iPod.

May 18, 2009, 8:49:16 EDT

Cocaine and dope

Not banned outside of competition

(Lausanne, Switzerland)

drugs

http://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibitedlist.ch2

These two drugs are not banned out of competition. So if you have a drug test while not in competition, and you test positive for marijuana or cocaine then you are not in violation of the WADA code, or are you?

VeloNews article

Belgian cycling federation president Laurent De Backer has hit out at the president of world cycling, Pat McQuaid, following the International Cycling Union's (UCI) decision to sanction Tom Boonen.

It was believed the 2005 world champion would not be punished by the sport's authorities because cocaine does not feature on the list of cycling's banned substances for out-of-competition periods.

However on Tuesday the UCI said Boonen's actions had brought the sport into disrepute and threatened him with a ban ranging from one to six months.

According to Het Laatste Nieuws newspaper Thursday, De Backer was quick to contact UCI chief McQuaid to vent his indignation at the decision.

"Instead of trying to help a man who is in difficulty, the UCI has decided to kick him when he is down," said De Backer in the report.

They get you one way or the other.

Discuss Cocaine and dope at the Oz Report forum   link»

April 8, 2009, 8:58:19 EDT

Drug Testing in France

Is this what we can expect from the French?

(Laragne-Montéglin, France)

drugs

Drug Testing in France

The Velonews article.

Lance Armstrong says he is outraged over claims that he misbehaved during an out-of-competition doping test in France.

"I did not try to evade or delay the testing process that day. I had just returned from an all day training session, wasn’t sure who this French man at my home was, and as soon as the UCI confirmed that he was authorized to conduct the tests, I let him take all the samples he requested.'

"I find it amazing that I've been tested 24 times without incident and the first test I do in France results in more outrageous allegations and negative leaks to the press.

"This is just another example of the improper behavior by the French laboratory and the French anti-doping organizations. I am sorry that they are disappointed that all the tests were negative, but I do not use any prohibited drugs or substances."

September 22, 2008, 10:34:46 MDT

Drugs/Medication

Can there be a rational discussion?

(Cowboy Up operation at Alpine, WY, USA)

CIVL|drugs|medication

http://www.fai.org/hang_gliding/competitions/antidoping_policy

http://www.fai.org/medical/system/files/cimp_2002_minutes.pdf

There continues to be great public hysteria about the subject of "drugs" as there has been for at least forty years. Much of that hysteria has been for the last few years focused on sports, but there continue to be many hundreds of thousands of people (mostly minorities) who have been jailed for "drug" offenses.

I have written repeatedly about the corruption of drug testing in sports and that corruption just adds to our inability to think clearly about the issues. When is a medication, a drug? What is the legitimate use of these medications? FDA approval or off label prescriptions?

Recently I wrote to Roger Hughes, the FAI General Projects Manager, who appears to have some say with respect to these issues at the FAI (and therefore CIVL). I found it interesting the WADA prohibited list (you can download it from here), listed beta blockers as prohibited, but only for certain sports. The FAI seems to be the agency that determines that they are prohibited for air sports and WADA just goes along with this (see here: http://www.fai.org/antidoping/adrp). I asked Roger about what concerns the FAI had regarding beta blockers. Robert Hughes «rob» wrote:

I will ask our Medico-Physiological Commission CIMP to comment on beta-blockers.

Regarding their legitimate use, this is treated in the same way as all other substances on the WADA Prohibited List in that you would need to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). The TUE application form and further TUE information are available on the FAI website at http://www.fai.org/antidoping/tue.

No answer yet. So I don't know exactly why FAI feels that these medications/drugs should be prohibited except under the TUE. I don't completely understand the TUE process, so it is unclear to me just what prescriptions one needs or what conditions qualify. You can only get beta blockers with a prescription (legally).

There are a number of different "anxiety" medications. Some classes are addictive. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiolytic, for example. Beta blockers, which in "high" doses are heart medications and have lots of side effects, in small amounts are used (outside of FDA labeled uses) as anxiety reducers (see here: http://www.ethanwiner.com/BetaBlox.html). You can find out more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_blocker#Adverse_effects, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propranolol,  
http://www.anxietysecrets.com/loungeFrame-11.htm#betablockers, and http://www.concernedcounseling.com/Communities/anxiety/anxieties/8meds/betas.asp .

So I ask readers who have an expertise in this area to write in and comment on this issue. Are the side effects (which seem pretty nasty) an issue at small doses? What doses are applicable to anxiety reduction (10-40 mg)? Are other anxiety reduction medications more applicable (it doesn't seem that way to me reading the literature)? Is there a web site with a good read on these issues?

Here is a discussion among musicians.

Discuss Drugs/Medication at the Oz Report forum   link»

August 8, 2008, 7:50:56 CDT

Drug testing

So where's the science?

drugs

Drug testing

Nature magazine

But when an athlete tests positive, is he or she guilty of doping? Because of what I believe to be inherent flaws in the testing practices of doping laboratories, the answer, quite possibly, is no.

In my opinion, close scrutiny of quantitative evidence used in Landis's case show it to be non-informative. This says nothing about Landis's guilt or innocence. It rather reveals that the evidence and inferential procedures used to judge guilt in such cases don't address the question correctly. The situation in drug-testing labs worldwide must be remedied. Cheaters evade detection, innocents are falsely accused and sport is ultimately suffering.

The editorial

Nature believes that accepting 'legal limits' of specific metabolites without such rigorous verification goes against the foundational standards of modern science, and results in an arbitrary test for which the rate of false positives and false negatives can never be known. By leaving these rates unknown, and by not publishing and opening to broader scientific scrutiny the methods by which testing labs engage in study, it is Nature's view that the anti-doping authorities have fostered a sporting culture of suspicion, secrecy and fear.

October 13, 2007, 4:45:44 CDT

Fighting

Floyd Landis stands up

bicycle|drugs|Floyd Landis

http://www.floydfairnessfund.org/

http://trustbut.blogspot.com/

“Knowing that the accusations against me are simply wrong, and having risked all my energy and resources – including those of my family, friends and supporters – to show clearly that I won the 2006 Tour de France fair and square, I will continue to fight for what I know is right. Doping in sport seems to continue to get worse under the current anti-doping system, and this is only a part of the huge amount of proof that the WADA/USADA system needs a total overhaul. I will continue to work to clear my name and fight for change in the name of fairness and justice. No matter the final outcome of my case, there must be change in the current system if athletes can ever hope to compete on a level playing field and return to the joy and inspiration that sport can bring all of us.”

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9209&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=150

Based on the analysis found in the document above I have my doubts that Floyd can find justice in Switzerland. But there is a chance.

Wed, Sep 5 2007, 8:03:57 am MDT

Drugs

This little cactus not only grows in Mexico

(Zapata, TX)

drugs

Drug Tourism - a reason to go to Zapata

An experienced WRE pilot writes:

I believe that the Zapata Chamber of Commerce, while perhaps understandably reluctant to fund hang gliding, might consider shifting the focus of its local development efforts towards pharmacological tourism. Imagine the bounty to be reaped from well-healed continental tourists bringing sacks of Euros to expand their consciousness in idyllic Zapata. Its culinary attractions and sleek women too would render their visit a complete and fulfilling experience.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14064806

Now, the Mexican government and the Indian community that uses peyote in sacred ceremonies are warning that peyote is under threat.

Peyote is the attraction for many of the foreigners who flock to Real de Catorce, a former silver-mining town high in the mountains in the state of San Luis Potosi in northern Mexico. In the central square, rings, necklaces, broaches and bracelets for sale at a jewelry market seem to feature one central design: the peyote cactus.

June 22, 2006, 9:51:11 EDT

Dope

Lance pounds Pound

drugs

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/more/06/19/armstrong.pound/index.html?cnn=yes

Discuss Dope at the Oz Report forum

Wed, Apr 7 2004, 5:00:04 pm EDT

First one cup of coffee, then  ten.

drugs

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/06/health/
nutrition/06CASE.html?8hpib

Caffeine intoxication.

Caffeine works by blocking the calming and analgesic effects of the neurotransmitter adenosine in the brain. In moderate doses, caffeine enhances arousal and performance. At higher doses, caffeine blocks a majority of adenosine receptors and can produce anxiety and hypersensitivity to pain.

Discuss drugs at the Oz Report forum

Tue, Mar 23 2004, 3:00:02 pm EST

All the parachutists have opted to get as much testing as possible.

drug testing

drugs|Peter Loeskow|PG

Peter Loeskow «peter_loeskow» translates:

The Nordic air sports now have their first doping case during a parachutists' competition in Norway.

During a jump competition in Norway, a parachutist did a tandem jump without participating in the competition. He was asked to take a drug test but refused, stating that he was not part of the competition.

Because of his refusal, he was automatically declared guilty. This means he is barred from all parachute jumping where he would represent his club or his country, for a period of 12 months. Normal time to be barred would have been 24 months, but there were attenuation circumstances.

All who are affiliated with the Swedish Sports Association, which all paraglider pilots are through the Swedish Aero Club, can at any time they exercise their sport be subject to testing for drugs. In case of a positive result, you will be barred for 24 months from competing or any other activity where you represent your club or your country.

Discuss "Drug testing - an offer you can't refuse" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

Thu, Mar 4 2004, 2:00:03 pm EST

Is evil sustainable?

drugs

drugs|Manfred Ruhmer|record

Everyone that I've dealt with first of all realizes that drug testing is a significant invasion of our rights to privacy. Most of us see this right as preceding and independent of whatever rights are "granted" by our governments. That is, it is an inalienable right that is our due as human beings, and that our governments are restricted in their ability to invade our privacy.

Most see that the WADA drug testing protocols reverse our right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. We see that the burden of disproving a finding of the presence of a prohibited substance is placed on the party with the least resources that would be needed to disprove, if that is possible, such a finding.

This reverses our typical notion of justice. We normally feel that everyone has a right to be assumed to be innocent unless either due to the preponderance of evidence or beyond a reasonable doubt they are in fact guilty. This protects us, the weaker party, from being steamrollered by the stronger party, the government or large organization.

Almost everyone seems to agree that there is not a problem with performance enhancing drugs in hang gliding and paragliding. Some think that drug testing would be useful in curbing marijuana use, especially in paragliding. But whether there are some drugs that enhance performance or not few people feel that this is a particularly pressing issue. No one in competition that I am aware of feels that they are pressured into taking drugs in order to be competitive.

No one is pointing to Manfred and saying, "My what big muscles you suddenly have, grandma." There is no hue and cry from the spectators as one hang gliding record after another goes down. As a seven time world record holder, I'm not afraid that my records will be destroyed by some pumped up steroid popping freak.

I believe that it is quite clear that a cost benefit analysis (and I mean looking at all the social and economic costs and benefits) of adopting the WADA protocols for hang glider and paraglider competitors is outrageously expensive for little to no benefit. Not exactly something we should be engaged in.

Of course, as Dennis so clearly pointed out, there is no money for this. This basically isn't a sustainable activity. My understanding is that the US is behind on its WADA dues. It is just hard for me to imagine in this time of extreme deficits that the US is going to be able to afford to pay for drug testing hang glider pilots.

The only reason we are being confronted with this issue is because of our hubris in desiring to be a part of the IOC. This would be funny if it weren't so sick.

The anti-drug hysteria continues unabated. It has already put 100,000's of black and brown men in jail in the US. Now they are coming after us middle class white guys with no drug habits.

After I checked out the Bridge and Chess guys (https://OzReport.com/toc.php?8.031#3) I went looking for the Anti-Doping issue in Xtreme Sports (http://expn.go.com/expn/index). I couldn't find anything. Does anyone know what's up with that?

Discuss "Drug testing is evil, but is it a great evil?" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

Tue, Feb 24 2004, 2:00:05 pm EST

Head teachers will be given powers to introduce random drug testing in their schools, the prime minister has told a Sunday newspaper.

drugs

drugs

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3510605.stm

Sat, Feb 14 2004, 2:00:05 am GMT

Let's be clear about what exactly we are talking about. Steroids are performance enhancing substances for some sports.

steroids

drugs|news

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-Athletes-Steroids.html?hp

Can we read carefully what is being said about the use of steroids in sports and how this is not a story about "drugs" and sports? From the NY Times:

"Illegal steroid use calls into question not only the integrity of the athletes who use them, but also the integrity of the sports that those athletes play," Ashcroft said. "Steroids are bad for sports, they're bad for players, they're bad for young people who hold athletes up as role models."

The association of the use of steroids with the general term "drugs" is inappropriate. The use of steroids, which as I vaguely understand have some nasty side effects, is unfair to others participating in muscle group sports. The term "drugs" has so many connotations and meanings that it is almost meaningless.

Discuss "Steroids, not "drugs"" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

Tue, Feb 3 2004, 7:00:02 am GMT

drugs

CIVL|competition|drugs|FAI Anti-Doping Rules|FAI Sporting Code|Oleg Bondarchuk|safety|Stéphane Malbos

The presence of prohibited substances

https://OzReport.com/data/FAI%20Anti%20Doping%20Rules%20Draft%20Version%201.0.html

From the Draft FAI Anti-Doping Rules:

2. 1 The presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an Athlete’s bodily Specimen

2. 1.1 It is each Athlete’s personal duty to ensure that no Prohibited Substance enters his or her body. Athletes are responsible for any Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers found to be present in their bodily Specimens. Accordingly, it is not necessary that intent, fault, negligence or knowing Use on the Athlete’s part be demonstrated in order to establish an anti-doping violation under Article 2.1

There are a number of viewpoints with respect to prohibited substances. First, it is the opinion of some that the use, ingesting or presence of prohibited substances in anyone is in and of itself wrong. One conclusion that one can draw from this viewpoint, is that if testing for prohibited substances significantly reduces their use, then testing should be generally employed throughout the population.

A second view is that the presence of prohibited substances is fundamentally contrary to the spirit of sport. This has two variations. The first one is that athletes, sportspeople, hang glider pilots (perhaps) are supposed to set an example for others and that example should not include ingesting prohibited substances. That is, competition hang glider pilots are supposed to be above the common riff raff and set a higher standard.

One, perhaps extreme, example of this view point is that stated by Stéphane Malbos «vol.passion», the French CIVL representative, who writes:

Sportsmen and women are supposed to be example for the society, and so exempt of any drugs (even caffeine).

Another variation, is the viewpoint that because prohibited substances can improve the performance of athletes, and because athletes who don't wish to use prohibited substances are thereby disadvantaged, or pressured by competitive pressures to use them, that these substances should be tested for in order to eliminate their use by athletes.

Some feel that some of the prohibited substances have a deleterious effects on competition hang glider pilot performance and comprise a safety hazard.

Some feel that testing for prohibited substances should be carried out on competition hang glider pilots to assure publics, agencies, and sponsors that competition hang gliding is "drug free," irrespective of any other criteria calling for testing.

The viewpoint that is in favor of "drug testing" in general has nothing special to say about competition hang glider pilots. With limited "drug testing" resources, this approach would direct such testing to those groups most likely to ingest prohibited substances. It is unlikely that competition hang glider pilots would fit the profile, and very doubtful that they would be first on the list.

While competition hang glider pilots often feel (at least to themselves) that they are superior beings, they rarely feel that they are setting an example, as they are very rarely in the public eye. They represent their countries in only a limited sense and less than do the actual elected representatives, who hypocritically exempt themselves from testing for prohibited substances. If we are looking for models to test, I suggest that there are many others who should be pissing into bottles, long before you turn to competition hang glider pilots.

It has not been shown, or even convincingly argued, that any of the prohibited substances enhance hang gliding performance in competition. The WADA list has been developed with muscle group sports in mind, and there is no evidence that any of the substances on the list actually enhance hang gliding competition performance.

The current General Section of the FAI Sporting Code casts grave doubts on whether this particular list of prohibited substances enhances pilot performance when it states:

FAI condemns the use by competitors, in the misguided belief that they improve performance in the air, of substances banned by the International Olympic Committee, (IOC).

I have had extensive experience with national and international hang gliding competitions and I can state unequivocally that there is no pressure on any competitor to take any of the prohibited substances in order to be competitive. Oleg Bondarchuck, with whom I've just spent a good deal of time, and who is ranked third in the world (before the Oz comps) is completely unconcerned about "drug testing" because he is completely "drug free." We may get a chance to see if his attitude is justified.

Let's contrast the situation in hang gliding competition with that found in Olympic sports, in particular, running. In today's (on the web) New York Times we find in an article about Marion Jones, the following:

There has been no evidence that she has taken performance-enhancing drugs, and she has not been accused of it, but she stars in a sport where the use of illicit substances is believed by many to be epidemic.

In a sport where the atmosphere is poisoned and every outstanding performance brings immediate suspicion,…

This atmosphere is in strong contrast to that found in the competition hang gliding world and illustrates part of the reason why the WADA protocols developed for Olympic sports are so inappropriate for hang gliding.

It may be that the presence of some of the prohibited substances at certain levels in a pilot's body would reduce the safety of competition hang gliding in some circumstances. This possibility needs to be weighed against other safety related issues to determine its priority.

The issue that pilots raise is would they want to be in a gaggle with someone who was taking a debilitating drug or drinking. (BTW, the alcohol limit is 0.2 g/L for the FAI, which, I believe, is two or more times the legal limit for driving in the US, and four times the Australian limit. So much for safety concerns. http://www.wada-ama.org/docs/web/standards_harmonization/code/list_standard_2004.pdf)

The Draft FAI Anti-Doping Rules do not allow a national hang gliding association to pick and choose which substances it can test for. For example, if it wishes to deal with a possible safety issue, it can not just test for those substances which it considers present a safety hazard. The WADA code is a one size fits all package.

Finally, there is the argument that we should test for prohibited substances to prove our innocence, even when we haven't been suspected of a crime, because, face it, everyone is suspect, and these distinctions that I am making are lost on the general public.

The argument here is that "drug taking" is so bad and so rampant in the society that anything we can do to stop it or at least slow it down should be done. Sacrifices must be made, and if there are a few false positives from the tests, well that is just part of the cost of ridding (well, not actually ridding) society of this scourge.

Well, here's another quote from the Jones article about one's ability to prove one's innocence:

Jones and every other athlete in elite sports — track and field in particular — find themselves in an awkward position. Because drug testing has loopholes and no tests exist for some drugs that are believed to be widely used, like human growth hormone, those who are not using illicit substances cannot prove their innocence.

It would appear that instituting a "drug testing" program doesn't necessarily buy you that "drug free" reputation after all. This is the benefits side of the equation. I will get to the costs side in a later article.

Wed, Jan 28 2004, 2:00:01 pm EST

drug testing

Drug Testing - we can't afford it in Canada

Barry Bateman|CIVL|drugs|HPAC|John Chambers|Kevin Carter|Oleg Bondarchuk|record|sailplane|Scott Robinson|USHGA

Barry Bateman «flyxc» writes:

I've been reading the comments on drug testing and Government financial assistance with much interest and the fact that a Canadian has just won the Pre-Worlds got me a thinking.

Here in Canada we receive absolutely no financial assistance from the government at all. In fact the Canadian Government doesn't even recognize the Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada (HPAC) because, (I quote from the Government in part), "how do we know you are the only group that represents hang gliding in Canada? There may be other interested groups so therefore we will not officially recognize the HPAC or any other HG body". Brilliant!

We have also at various times tried to receive funding from the Canadian Sports Council but we were told that we didn't qualify because, "You are not a muscle group sport". (Obviously they haven't taken a flight in the Owens Valley during the height of the flying season)! This ruling also applies to the sailplane association as well by the way.

So, any funding that Canadian "team" members have received comes from the HPAC, whose funds are generated from membership fees alone. And when you consider that we only have approx 750 members (in the Worlds largest country no less) then there ain't a whole bunch of money to go round.

The only other funding that 'may' be available comes from either the Provincial Associations (who also receive no funding), a "whip round" at the local clubs, or private obtained sponsorship. In fact, the standing Canadian joke (which has more truth than I care to admit) is that if you want to make it onto the Canadian team you only need to be able to afford the plane ticket and entry fee! Sad but true.

Now here we have Brett who has just won the Pre-Worlds. (Congratulations by the way). He got there (financially) by his own ingenuity and private sponsorship and almost no HPAC assistance. (I'm not knocking the HPAC here, it's just a fact of life). That's pretty damn impressive when you compare what he has achieved against many other "National Funded" pilots!

By contrast, my good friend Bo makes more money dressing up as a turkey and having paint balls shot at him to get to Oz than Brett receives from the Canadian National HG Association, the Provincial Associations and the local clubs combined.

Now. What happens when drug testing is a mandatory requirement at level 1 category meets, even if only for the winners? Let's take the present case of Brett winning the Pre-Worlds. Seeing as the HPAC can't afford the drug testing then the onus is going to be on Brett (in this case) to fund it. Great!

Or how about this? Maybe the top 3 pilots, when they get on the podium at the awards ceremony, can dress up as turkeys, and have the other competition pilots and spectators in attendance shoot paint balls at them so that they can generate the money for the drug test!

Or, more than likely, the winners will eventually end up being the highest placed pilots in the meet who have the National funding to pay for the drug test. Sorry Brett, you're the best pilot, but as your Association doesn't have any funding so you can't win!!!!

Robert D. Sterling «dsterling47» writes:

When I was living in the Tidewater Virginia, USA area there was testing of military pilots for drugs.

Well there was this pilot of fairly high rank who “Tested Positive” for drugs. Well he was Court Marshaled, jailed awaiting trial, family devastated, career ruined etc., only to find it was the poppy seeds on his morning Bagel that was where the “Positive Drug Test” came from.

I can see it now, “Hang Glider Jailed For Drug Use” better watch those morning Bagels at Starbucks. Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks!

Michael Dufty «mike» writes:

I've heard that caffeine may be removed from banned drugs lists because the of the current ridiculous situation, that it is only performance enhancing at legal levels, if you have enough in your blood to fail a drugs test it is actually detrimental to performance.

John Chambers «glider» writes:

I agree with you that free flight pilots in the USA should draw the line and stand firm against drug testing. No "unfunded paper program", no intrusions into our private lives. Just Say No to Drug Testing, period. The fact that in other countries the pilots are so addicted to government handouts that they are willing to abdicate their personal freedoms is a good argument for not seeking such government aid.

I believe that the USHGA should not be funding competition, either. Competition should be funded by those who benefit from it - the competitors, the manufacturers, and the sponsors. Logically then, those groups will be the only ones to decide whether to implement drug testing or anything else. You really can't have it both ways - the pathetic arguments from Europe make this clear.

As to the FAI and CIVL, who needs them anyway? You personally have the knowledge and experience to set up a world record sanctioning authority and do it in a far more user friendly and cost efficient manor than the present system provides. If you bring the Australians on board, you will have the two countries where world records are most likely to be set. (Is it just a coincidence that the people of these two countries also seem to more highly value their freedom?)

Scott Robinson «scotty» writes:

You put forward a very poor argument that there are no drugs that will enhance performance in hang gliding.

(editor's note: By far, the major determinant within the pilot in winning hang gliding competition is pilot judgment. There are no drugs that I am aware of that enhance pilot judgment. One of my correspondents has mentioned that Ritalin can be used to enhance focus of attention - after all that it was it is prescribed for. I didn't notice having any trouble focusing my attention when competing.

If there were drugs than enhanced pilot judgment or judgment in general would we have any reason to ban them? Perhaps they would have undesirable side effects on our sexual activity.:-))

In an earlier Oz Report during Hay you said that you had sore arms and shoulders from the grueling tasks.

(editor's note: I mentioned that my arms were sore. I didn't mention that my shoulders were sore, which they weren't, nor that the tasks were grueling, which they also weren't. I wrote at the time:

"Often, in spite of its many physical demands, hang gliding competition is for the most part a mental game. Flying a flex wing has reminded me about how physical it is (and by getting more experienced at it, it becomes less physical), but yesterday's task also brought the mental aspects to the foreground. We've been doing a lot of flying into the wind in this meet, and yesterday we really put ourselves to the test."

I did mention how happy Bo and I were that Kevin Carter was complaining how sore and hurting he was. The great thing as far as us old guys are concerned is that Kevin is a tri-athlete, young, and in very good condition. It is also quite ironic that he is also the only one of us who is actually subject to in contest and out of contest drug testing.)

Would you not put in a better performance if taking steroids to build up your upper body size and strength and endurance ?

(editor's note: I assume that if I was stronger I would be a marginally better pilot. I know that I would be a better pilot if I were smarter and had more experience flying flex wings. I personally wouldn't take any steroids to achieve the goal if being a stronger pilot as I know I would much more easily achieve the goal of being a better pilot through practice. I believe that the level of fitness that is optimal for pilots is easily achievable through moderate exercise.

All you have to do is look at the pilots' bodies to see that they are not winning because of excess muscle mass. Oleg Bondarchuck, who I sit in the back seat with every day going up to launch, is a perfect example. He is very skinny. It looks like he would have been lucky to have had more then two helpings of animal protein in his whole life. He comes from a very poor country where it would never have been possible for him to afford to take drugs. He is also the number two ranked pilot in the world and currently in the lead of the Bogong Cup.

Oleg is just one of many champion pilots who vividly illustrate that a well muscled physique is not a determinant in who is the best pilot. It is very clearly the case that small pilots win championships, not big ones.

But don't take the obvious evidence for this simple truth, take the word of the Canadian Sports Counsel above, "You are not a muscle group sport.")

Are there not drugs which fix more oxygen to the cells in the blood? Surely this would be an advantage to a pilot when thermaling at altitude.

(editor's note: Last time I checked you are not allowed to suck oxygen out of a bottle during the Tour de France. We have that privilege and I would suggest that this is a much more effective means of getting more oxygen than trying to take any drugs that enhance fixing oxygen in the blood. Well, then perhaps WADA will disallow oxygen as a drug. :-))

Sure, hang glider pilots are more likely to be taking recreational drugs which are performance reducing, but in a sport where only seconds separate the top place getters a small increase in physical performance could make a big difference.

(editor's note: It could, but there is no evidence that it does, nor that any drugs make any difference at all. In hang gliding competitions, unlike in "muscle group" competitions, no one is aware of any benefit to be derived from taking any particular drugs.

Remember there is a specific list of drugs that can't be taken, and it is because these drugs have been found to enhance performance of the specified tasks found in the specified competitions. There is no evidence that indicates that any of these specified drugs, and not some other set, enhance hang gliding competition performance. Until we have some evidence that a certain set of drugs does indeed enhance performance, we have what Scott is exhibiting here, mere speculation.

What is happening here is that the FAI is taking a set of rules from WADA that have been found applicable to "muscle group" sports and unthinkingly and under pressure from their government applying them to hang gliding. There is no evidence that these particular rules are in any way applicable to hang gliding.)

Olympic athletes have proved that they will stop at nothing to hide their drug cheating and gain any possible advantage over their fellow competitors.

(editor's note: The same can not be said for hang glider pilots.)

I would be pissed off if I was beaten by a pilot who used drugs to gain an unfair advantage over me.

(editor's note: I would be much more pissed off if I was hit while thermaling by a pilot who didn't have the courtesy or skill to clear their turns.

The major strategy here in the non funded countries seems to be to give lip service to the call for drug testing in hang gliding, in order to appease the Europeans, but to not fund it, as there are no funding sources, and to hope, against hope, that it never comes to actually happening.

The flaws in this strategy are that the Europeans will catch on to the fact that we aren't really going to follow through, and put pressure on us - say no world championships in Brazil, Australia, or the US any more.

We've been successful in giving lip service to the requirements for drug testing previously, and done nothing to implement it. Of course, the Europeans are aware of this so they may not be fooled again.

There is another reason why I don't like this strategy of keeping your mouth shut and pretending to go along with policies that you in fact object to. This distorts the truth and denies reason in the affairs of men. It becomes a game of not using your intelligence to seek the truth through full, fair and frank debate, but a game of using your intelligence to win through artifice and deception.

While those "in the know" can understand why people are acting in strange ways and not making any sense with their statements, those who just want to take on the issues, understand them, and see where reason leads are seen as idiots who aren't aware of how the real world works.

My job as an editor is to explicate. To inform. To shine light in dark places. That is, to disrupt the strategies of those who wish to hide their strategy for their strategic advantage. They are playing a game of power. I am playing a game of reason.

I hope that my readers through these discussions can think long and hard for themselves about the issues, and certainly not take my position, if their reasoning takes them else where. I just hate to see them giving into power, when reason doesn't have the power to resist.)

Sun, Jan 25 2004, 7:00:01 pm GMT

Bogong Cup 2004|CIVL|competition|drugs|FAI|Flip Koetsier|Gordon Rigg|J.C. Brown|Marilyn Vos Savant|PG|Red Bull|Stéphane Malbos|Steve Uzochukwu|USHGA|video

Let me remind my European readers of the saying of a great American Patriot, Patrick Henry, "Give me Liberty, or Give me Death." The story of Patrick Henry is something all American school children learn.

And what I see here is that we have a great cultural and political divide. There are those Americans (and others) who believe in the value of civil liberties, on one side, and those Europeans who are willing to do about anything to continue to take their government's money on the other side.

One American paraglider pilot writes:

I ain't no druggie, despite living in the "Emerald Triangle", but I'm with you 100%. Sometimes, you just have to stand up for rationality and 'Just Say No' to the ever-increasing nosy government, and the stupidity of some regulations. If there was a drug that would enhance paragliding performance, I'd take it, OK? But as near as I can tell, there ain't - though Red Bull may come close sometimes… ;-)

An American hang glider pilot and lawyer writes:

I couldn't agree with you more on this issue. I don't have time to argue it out with every European on the CIVL list though. I think that as Americans, we tend to value our civil liberties more than those from many other countries. I guess they don't mind having to prove their innocence. I find it rather offensive to say the least.

JC Brown, former USHGA competition chairman, writes:

You and I are in complete agreement on the drug testing issue. Here's a cool little movie of The Renegades in action: http://www.gleitsegel.info/renegades%20stubai.wmv

A European hang glider pilot writes:

If you show up in such an environment, such as the one that exists in Europe today, saying "not in our sport", "we refuse to be tested" they first laugh at you (based on their experience in other sports) and then they really think that you have to hide something.

Remember that this is not my argument. My argument is not that there is no drug use, but only that there are no banned drugs that enhance hang gliding performance. That there is no pressure on pilots to use drugs in order to be competitive, and therefore there is no reason to test for drugs in competition pilots (oh, other than the government money, of course).

Steve Uzochukwu <steveu@which.net> writes:

If you want world wide support in this you will need to know how other associations are funded. If opting out of the drug testing would lose the UK association its Sports Council funding then we would not do it.

Of course, now that I know the score, I do not expect any support for my Anti-Drug Testing position outside the US hang gliding community (and Australian, and a few others without government support). I do not expect the British pilots to give up their government support.

Of course, the USHGA will never fund drug testing in any way, shape, or form. The argument I have heard in the background is Steve's argument above, that we will just do these things on paper to get the government's support, and then not fund it.

Steve writes:

The best compromise might be not to opt out of testing but simply to be unable to fund it. In the absence of any benefactor with thousands of Pounds, Euros, or Dollars lip service would be paid but nothing would be done.

Well, it's being funded by the government in Holland and other countries now. Once this is all in place in the FAI and CIVL it is a very short step to actually enforcing it, say in 2005 or 2006. Or say when the US wants to try once again to have a CIVL sanctioned worlds.

Steve also points out the great cultural differences between Europe and the US and Australia; I acknowledge those differences, and point out that this will likely mean a split up of the associations. The USHGA will in no way back this drug testing proposal.

Steve further writes:

Noel is advocating a very careful and detailed look at the issues and a wary way of proceeding.

Yes, I am quite aware of what Noel is advocating. To me this is the same as saying, well, the devil ain't such a bad guy, perhaps we should listen more carefully to just what he is offering for our souls.

I really appreciated getting the message from Flip Koetsier «f.koetsier» the team leader of the Dutch team, especially as many of his team members are here in Australia at the Bogong Cup and I have had a chance to speak with them about this issue.

Flip writes:

Reading your arguments about the out of contest testing for doping, I think that you are going too far with your attempts to convince us to drop all associations with WADA.

(No need to worry about that Flip, as I can see that it is quite hopeless. I have no illusions that I will convince anyone but perhaps a few of those without government support.)

You already mentioned the system here in Holland and it seems to me that you spoke with some of the Dutch team members in Australia. It is correct that our team members are being checked for doping since some years now and yes, it is also correct that we don't have to pay for that. In fact, we get some funds from our government and our national Olympic committee to run our team and join some big competitions and not cooperating with the out of competition testing for doping might jeopardize these funds. So for me as team leader of the Dutch team it is simple, we cooperate with the testing.

(Yet again we have the acknowledgement that this is really all about the money. It really doesn't matter which side has the sounder arguments, just who has the bigger stick. Apparently the European governments are very concerned about these crazy wild hang glider pilot doing drugs, so that they are opting to bring the hammer down.)

In fact, we have to. I hope you can understand that. And yes, we suck at the government tit and we like it.

(Well, there you have it. I wonder just exactly what kind of drugs that the government is mixing in with the milk coming out of that tit. Perhaps something to calm the nerves, and quiet any opposition. Oh, did I mention, that Flip actually works for the government?)

Stéphane Malbos «vol.passion» writes:

Drug taking is a reality, in all levels of society and sports. Hang gliding and paragliding are not free from it. Pilots in France have been officially suspended by our federation following drug test.

(I have never argued that there is no drug taking in hang gliding and paragliding. I have only argued that there are no banned performance enhancing drugs for hang gliding and paragliding and that there is no pressure to take drugs in order to be competitive. So did you suspend these guys for taking too many Red Bulls, or smoking a little dope? How noble of the FFVL.)

Sportsmen and women are supposed to be example for the society, and so exempt of any drugs (even caffeine).

(Even caffeine?! I don't know why I even try to make an argument, when those who oppose my position make it so well for me. You'll notice that many different people have different agendas when it comes to Doping. Stephane is not happy about Red Bulls and Cappuccinos. He apparently feels that hang glider pilots should not engage in proscribed behavior, like even that first cup of coffee. This is even too much for WADA.)

Drug testing is a reality in most countries. It is funded by the governments through WADA (out of competition) or directly (in France anyway). In France, in-competition drug testing is requested, organized and paid for by the government. It doesn't cost anything to the pilots or their federation (except of course the % of our income tax that funds this particular program). The federation has to be a witness at any in-competition drug testing, and that's it. I don't know how it works in other countries.

(I do. There is no government funding for this. There will be an attempt to extract it from our pockets. It ain't going to happen, folks. You can tear up your organization by following this stupid path if you want, but we aren't going to go along with it.)

My good friend Gordon Rigg, in his typical display of British humor writes:

Do you ever re-read what you have written and see how sensible you are sounding? Is there some substance effecting you emotionally in some way!?

(See how insidious this is? Make an argument against drug testing and you get labeled as a drug taker. In the US our history shows that if you support programs on the left (like European socialism) you get labeled a Communist. Same argument here. Don't want to name your fellow travelers as members of the party for reasons of principle and freedom of association, get fired from your job and sent to prison.)

We must jump through quite a few hoops and leap some hurdles to obtain meagre funding for our paragliding and hang gliding teams who represent Britain. Our association also gains financial support that benefits all the pilots not just the competition ones. The association also gains credibility as representing an official sport when negotiating with other organisations such as CAA by being part of the sporting establishment. All this would be threatened if we participated in a written "we don't care what drugs" policy (it would also be threatened if our pilots competed in an unofficial non FAI approved world champs too!)

(Again, the real argument comes to the fore. The government is telling us what to do and therefore we are going to do it. I have no argument against that.)

This is why we have no choice but to have the necessary minimal involvement in the drugs testing policies that prevail. Mostly this will hopefully remain as just the necessary paragraphs in the rule book that never have to be implemented.

(Sure, that's what we all hope for. But I have seen how FAI/CIVL works. One day its a category I rule, the next day it applies to category 2. Sure, just put it on paper and hope it goes away. I wish you all a lot of luck.)

In the meantime steer clear of those nasal sprays that contain "speed" in the USA, but not Europe, or so the Olympic folks believe!

(There are many gotcha's. Here's one from Tony Estrada:

Marilyn Vos Savant, a popular columnist for the widely read weekly Parade provides convincing statistical evidence that drug testing, even at a 99 percent accuracy level, can ultimately do no better than a coin flip in determining whether or not someone is really a drug user (Marilyn Vos Savant, "Ask Marilyn: Tests for AIDS and Drugs: How Accurate Are They? Parade, 3/28/93, p. 24).

Vos Savant goes into great depth as to why, once an individual has tested positive, the odds that he or she is actually a drug user are only 50-50. Even with the most sophisticated methods, a great margin for error exists. This is a result mainly of analytic sensitivity (the rate of positive test results in people who are actually users) and analytic specificity (the rate of negative test results in people who are actually not users). These factors are biochemical, not statistical, hence laboratory error, although a possibility, is not the primary concern.

http://www.ndsn.org/april93/parade.html

http://www.moonmac.com/ftp/Non_Disclosure.pdf (see page two))

Finally Gordon writes:

Oh and yes, there are a lot of "tits" in our government - but surely more in yours!)

None available to us Gordon. Just to members of the coalition of the willing. :-)

Sat, Jan 24 2004, 6:00:01 pm GMT

drug testing

CIVL|drugs|FAI|government|Sepp "Seppi" Himberger

Well after a bit of a go around I finally found out the reason that the FAI is trying to shove drug testing down our collective throats. It's really very simple, and I should have understood it to begin with - follow the money.

European hang glider and aviation associations are supported by government funding. He who pays the piper, calls the tune. The governments have said that they will withdraw all government funding for sport aviation of the national organizations that are in charge of sport aviation if the FAI and the various countries don't adopt the WADA program.

Here is Sepp Himberger (Flugschule Kössen «flugschule») the CIVL delegate from Austria:

Just be aware, that in case of not ratifying the doping program all government funds in countries ratified them might (or even have to) be canceled ! Mit besten Grüßen aus Kössen

Besten Grüßen, yah, I'd say, best greetings. I'm from the government and I'm here to help you.

I can't believe that anyone actually tried to make a rational argument for drug testing when this was the real argument all along. Please spare me the poor attempts to make any sense of this dirty business. Just show me the money, baby. And, bought off so cheaply at that.

I'll have more to say about drug testing tomorrow.

Discuss "Why drug testing, the real reason" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

Wed, Apr 2 2003, 8:00:04 pm GMT

drugs

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/04/030402072824.htm

Researchers have found evidence that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen, may exert a protective effect against the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Results of their epidemiological, multiple-study analysis of nearly 16,000 patients are being presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Honolulu, March 29-April 5, 2003.

Discuss "A memorable future for hang glider pilots" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Sat, Mar 1 2003, 9:00:07 pm GMT

drugs

http://www.wada-ama.org/docs/web/research_science/prohibited_substances/Prohibited%20Classes%20of%20Substances%20and%20Prohibited%20Methods%202003.pdf

A small portion of the banned substances are as follows:

amiphenazole, amphetamines, bromantan, caffeine*, carphedon, cocaine, ephedrines**, fencamfamin, mesocarb, pentetrazol, pipradrol,… and related substances.

* For caffeine the definition of a positive is a concentration in urine greater than 12 micrograms per millilitre.

(editor’s note: Not much help in this article about how many cans of Red Bull you have to drink to get more than 12 micrograms per milliliter of caffeine. Frankly, I don’t care how much caffeine you’ve got in your system when you are flying against me. The more the better. Makes you have to piss more often.)

Discuss "Prohibited substances" at the Oz Report forum   link»