Why is the contest date so far away?
When you really think about what’s going to be involved in selecting and researching a subject, designing and constructing an entry, and preparing the presentation materials for a model complex and realistic enough to compete in The Challenge, the four-year time frame makes sense. Remember: It will take time and commitment to compete in this event at the level we expect. Every competitor will need to refine existing skills and develop new ones, learn about techniques, technologies, sources for supplies and products and their applications, build (and probably rebuild) parts for their entries, and so forth. If a competitor can devote an average of five hours per week to their entry, that equals a bit over 1,000 hours by October, 2011. If they average seven hours per week, that equals just under 1,500 hours. And ten hours per week equals just over 2,100 hours on their project. So, although the date seems a long time away, it really isn’t in the context of all that each competitor needs to
