2018 Competitor of the Year

Hazel regains top-competitor crown

Competing in five control-line competition categories, multi-skilled pilot, pitman and model builder Mike Hazel of Mehama, Ore., captured the 2018 Competitor of the Year title. It is his second time at the top of the overall Northwest standings since Flying Lines began awarding the title in 1980.

The annual Competitor of the Year title recognizes the flier who scored the most points in Northwest control-line competition standings as compiled by Flying Lines.

Hazel (right, accepting awards for second-place finish at the Bladder Grabber AMA Fast Combat tournament) scored points in Combat, Navy Carrier, Racing, Speed and Aerobatics.

Second place in the 2018 standings was a tie between Paul Walker of Deer Park, Wash., and Chris Cox of Delta, B.C., who scored all their points in Precision Aerobatics. It was Walker's ninth appearance in the Competitor of the Year top three, despite normally competiting in only the single event. It was Cox's sixth appearance in top three.

The number of people or teams scoring points in competition in 2018 was up by six from the 2017 season, with 58 people scoring points instead of 51. Note that this is not the total number of competitors, only the number of people placing first through fourth in sanctioned competition.

As usual, Stunt had the greatest distribution of people scoring points, with 32 people, up three from 2017. Combat came next with 11 people scoring points, the same as 2017. Racing and Speed had nine people scoring points, both up one from the previous year.) Six people scored points in Navy Carrier, the same as 2017. Three people scored points in Scale, up one from 2017

Again, these totals reflect only placement, not actual number of competitors. The presence of out-of-region fliers in a contest can result in no points, or fewer points, being scored toward Northwest standings for some events.

The Competitor of the Year recognition has been given since 1980, the second year of Flying Lines newsletter publication. Here is the history, giving the top three finishers each year:

Competitor of the Year, 1980-2018

1980: 1, John Thompson 2, Bill Varner 3, Jim Cameron
1981: Dick Salter, Thompson, Dave Green
1982: Dick Salter, Thompson, Mike Hazel
1983: Green, Thompson, Glenn Salter
1984: Green, Dick Salter, Gary Byerly
1985: Green, John Hall, Mel Lyne
1986: Green, Lyne, Dick Salter
1987: Dick Salter, Glenn Salter, Green
1988: Not available
1989-90: Flying Lines not published
1991: Joe Rice, Rich McConnell, Tom Strom
1992: Rice, Todd Ryan, Hall
1993: Ryan, Rice, McConnell
1994: Ryan, Chris Cox, Nitroholics Racing Team
1995: Ryan, Jeff Rein, Don McClave
1996: Ryan, Stephen Cox, Rick Meadows
1997: Ryan, Paul Gibeault, Stephen Cox
1998: Ryan, Lyne, Dan Rutherford
1999: Ryan, Shawn Parker, Mike Conner
2000: Ryan, Lyne, Scott Riese
2001: Chris Cox, Ryan, Lyne
2002: Jeff Rein, Bruce Hunt, Nils Norling
2003: Dan Rutherford, Keith Varley, Lyne
2004: Rutherford, Paul Walker, Chris Cox
2005: Pat Johnston, Riese, Hunt
2006: Johnston, Hunt, Walker
2007: Johnston, Walker, Rein
2008: Hunt, Walker, Johnston
2009: Rein, Hunt, Robert Smith
2010: Hunt, Rein, Walker
2011: Alan Resinger, Smith, Pete Peterson
2012: Chris Cox, Walker, Smith
2013: Thompson, Walker, Howard Rush
2014: Thompson, Walker, Smith/Buzz Wilson (tie)
2015: Chris Cox/Rush (tie), Dave Royer
2016: Hazel, Smith, Mike Haverly
2017: Thompson, Walker, Mike Rule
2018: Hazel, Chris Cox/Walker (tie)

Click here for 2018 final event standings

Current standings are on the NW Standings Page

Below are the final 2018 Competitor of the Year rankings, along with the categories in which points were scored.

2018 OVERALL STANDINGS

1. Mike Hazel -- Combat, Carrier, Racing, Speed, Stunt -- 98
2. Paul Walker -- Stunt -- 73.5
Chris Cox -- Stunt -- 73.5
4. Robert Smith -- Combat -- 69
5. Gene Pape -- Combat -- 46
6. John Thompson -- Combat, Racing, Stunt -- 41.6
7. Buzz Wilson -- Combat -- 35
8. Fred Underwood -- Stunt -- 29
9. Leighton Mangels -- Racing -- 27
10. Ken Burdick -- Racing, Speed -- 26
11. Dave Royer -- Stunt -- 24
12. John Knoppi -- Combat -- 22.5
13. Mike Haverly -- Stunt -- 21.5
14. Doug Powers -- Racing, Speed -- 21
15. Mel Lyne -- Combat -- 20
16. Howard Rush -- Stunt -- 19.5
Alan Resinger -- Stunt -- 19.5
18. Greg Machen -- Combat -- 17
Chris Sackett -- Speed, Stunt -- 17
Jeff Cleaver -- Speed -- 17
21. Pat Johnston -- Stunt -- 16
Mike Potter -- Carrier -- 16
Jerry Eichten -- Stunt -- 16
24. Bruce Tunberg -- Racing, Speed -- 15
25. Kris Millard -- Carrier -- 13
26. Dane Covey -- Stunt -- 12
John Leidle -- Stunt -- 12
28. Jim Booker -- Speed -- 11
29. Mark Schluter -- Carrier, Racing, Stunt -- 10
Jim Green -- Combat -- 10
Russ Hester -- Combat -- 10
32. Pat Chewning -- Racing -- 9
Walter Hicks -- Stunt -- 9
34. Richard Entwistle -- Racing -- 8
35. Orin Humphries -- Scale -- 7
36. Mike Massey -- Stunt -- 6
Mark Scarborough -- Stunt -- 6
38. Arkady Gorodetsky -- Stunt -- 5
Scott Newkirk -- Speed -- 5
40. John Lickley -- Carrier -- 4
Dennis Cousineau -- Stunt -- 4
Steve Holt -- Carrier -- 4
43. Joe Yau -- Stunt -- 3
Russ Popel -- Stunt -- 3
Al Culver -- Scale -- 3
Bruce Hunt -- Stunt -- 3
47. Bob Baldock -- Stunt -- 2
Hube Start -- Stunt -- 2
Randy Powell -- Stunt -- 2
Gordon Jack -- Stunt -- 2
Steve Lindstedt -- Speed -- 2
52. Tom Brightbill -- Stunt -- 1
Tim Wescott -- Stunt -- 1
Steve Helmick -- Stunt -- 1
Paul Bedford -- Stunt -- 1
Rob Moseley -- Stunt -- 1
Bob Lewis -- Scale -- 1

Flying Lines keeps track of standings in all AMA rulebook and Northwest official events, in all Northwest sanctioned contests.

2018 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2017 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2016 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2015 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2014 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2013 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2012 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2011 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2010 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2009 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2008 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2007 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

2006 Final Standings and Competitor of Year

2005 Final Standings and Competitor of Year

Flying Lines Home Page

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This page was upated Dec. 4, 2018