http://leagull.blogspot.com/2010/05/women-world-day-1-registration.html

The registration for the comps. The organizers gave me a number to
put on my glider's wing, a number with "Adidas" advertising. I didn't think
about it but just cut the "Adidas" word out and attached only the number to my
wing. Why would I put on my wing the advertising of the company which doesn't
pay me any money, right? Would you do any differently? Oh, you've gotta see what
it caused. Pilots were standing around me and saying that nobody is allowed to
fly this comp without this advertising, but I didn't believe them. I was sure
they were kidding:). I thought it couldn't be true:)

Then Corinna Schwiegershausen, one of the organizers, came along and told me
that I have to put the advertising on my wings. Why is that? - I was surprised.
The first answer was that nobody was allowed to fly without this advertising. It
is like a nonwritten rule!

Later on I got the second answer that Adidas gave so much money (to whom? Not to
me, really) and so many prizes for the comp that, without Adidas help, I would
need to pay an entry fee four times bigger (so, it would be like 4*€450 =
€1800). The first question here about those prizes: they said that the winners
of the tasks will get the prizes. Why, then, should the other pilots who will
not win the task advertize this company? Is this fair? So far I see that only
the German team has got all the clothes and things from Adidas, but all the
other pilots are also advertising it.

As for the second question, is that really so? Would we really need to pay an
€1800 entry fee to take part in the Women's Worlds? Where does all that money
go? How did they manage to make such a good Women-Rigid-Swift Worlds in Monte-Cucco
then?

The third answer was that Adidas just gives a lot of money and we SHOULD put
this advertizing to show our RESPECT to the company. Maybe the people who get
that money, those clothes and such COULD show their respect. But I also paid
almost 500 euro to this competition. Could I also have a bit of respect:)))?

Hm. Ok, I gave up. If it had not of been a World Championship where I am on the
national team, I would have taken my entry fee back, turned around and gone
away.

But - here I am, showing my respect.

Does it seem like I respect it that much, do you think?

Reminds me of something.

BTW, €1800? Well, I guess that puts the price of other Worlds that were without
corporate sponsorship in perspective.