2019 Competitor of the Year

Russ Hester wins Competitor of the Year title

Russ Hester of Florence, Ore., captured the Northwest's 2019 Competitor of the Year crown with an outstanding year of flying Combat and Racing.

Russ topped the Overall Combat season standings and finished atop the leader board in AMA Fast Combat and 80mph Combat. He also scored points in 15 Fast Combat, 1/2-A Combat and Northwest Sport Race

It's the first Competitor of the Year award for Russ, who moved to Oregon from California a few years ago and resumed competitive flying in 2018.

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.

At left, Russ is seen flying Combat at the 2019 Northwest Control-Line Regionals.

Second place in the 2019 standings went to Chris Cox of Delta, B.C., who scored all his points in Precision Aerobatics. It was Cox's seventh appearance in top three. Third place was a three-way tie between Paul Walker of Deer Park, Wash. (Precision Aerobatics), Howard Rush of Olympia, Wash. (Precision Aerobatics) and John Thompson of Eugene, Ore. (Combat, Racing, Speed, Stunt).

The number of people or teams scoring points in competition in 2019 was up by one from the 2018 season, with 59 people scoring points instead of 58. 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 30 people, down two from 2018. Racing and Speed came next with 11 each, both up two from 2018. Nine people scored points in Combat, down two from 2018. Seven people scored points in Navy Carrier, up one from 2018. Two people scored points in Scale, down one from 2018.

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, 1980-2019

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)
2019: Russ Hester, Chris Cox, Walker/Rush/Thompson (tie)

Click here for 2019 final standings

Current standings are on the NW Standings Page

Below are the final 2019 Competitor of the Year rankings, along with the categories in which points were scored.

2019 OVERALL STANDINGS

1. Russ Hester -- Combat, Racing -- 51
2. Chris Cox -- Stunt -- 48
3. Paul Walker -- Stunt -- 45
John Thompson -- Combat, Racing, Stunt, Speed -- 45
Howard Rush -- Stunt -- 45
6. Greg Machen -- Combat -- 39
7. Buzz Wilson -- Combat -- 37
8. Leighton Mangels -- Racing -- 36
9. Gene Pape -- Combat, Racing -- 34
10. Ken Burdick -- Speed -- 30 *
11. Mike Hazel -- Carrier, Racing, Speed -- 28
12. Jerry Eichten -- Stunt -- 27
13. Bob Welch -- Stunt -- 26
14. Fred Underwood -- Stunt -- 22
Alan Resinger -- Stunt -- 22
16. John Knoppi -- Combat -- 21
John Leidle -- Stunt -- 21
18. Doug Powers, Racing, Speed -- 20
Mike Haverly -- Stunt -- 19
Pat Johnston -- Stunt -- 19
21. Mike Potter -- Carrier -- 18
22. Dennis Cousineau -- Stunt -- 16
23. Robert Smith -- Combat -- 14
Chris Sackett -- Speed -- 14
Kris Millard -- Carrier -- 14
26. Richard Entwhistle -- Racing -- 13
Dave McCheyne -- Stunt -- 13
28. Walter Hicks -- Stunt -- 12
29. Jim Green -- Combat -- 11
Gary Harris -- Racing -- 11
Glenn Little -- Stunt -- 11
32. Bruce Tunberg -- Racing, Speed -- 9
Jim Booker -- Speed -- 9
Arkady Gorodetsky -- Stunt -- 9
Tom Brightbill -- Stunt -- 9
Paul Bedford -- Stunt -- 9
37. Dave Royer -- Stunt -- 8
Steve Lindstedt -- Speed -- 8
39. Steve Holt -- Carrier -- 6
Barrie Shandel -- Stunt -- 6
41. Dane Covey -- Stunt -- 5
Bruce Hunt -- Stunt -- 5
Tim Wescott -- Stunt -- 5
44. John Lickley -- Carrier -- 4
45. Jeff Cohen -- Combat -- 3
Mark Schluter -- Carrier, Racing -- 3
Orin Humphries -- Carrier -- 3
Bob Baldock -- Stunt -- 3
Larry Lewin -- Stunt -- 3
Mark Winz -- Carrier, Stunt -- 3
51. Victor Lichtenberg -- Scale -- 2
Mike Denlis -- Stunt -- 2
Will Naemura -- Speed -- 2
Rich Schaper -- Racing -- 2
55. Pat Chewning -- Stunt -- 1
Hube Start -- Stunt -- 1
Lynette Lickley -- Stunt -- 1
Ken Burgar -- Speed -- 1
Newton-Burdick Team -- Speed -- 1

* Also scored points in a team entry.

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

2019 Final Standings and Competitor of the Year

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

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This page was upated Dec. 16, 2019