Welcome to Torrey Pines GullsCliff and Sandy Hunter – Modelers of the Year – 2023
2023 was an exciting year, not only for the TPG but also in terms of weather, as it was one of the wettest on record for San Diego. The wet weather meant lots of plant growth at our club fields, and Cliff and Sandy Hunter spent many hours mowing Encinitas and Poway (kudos to Ian Cummings for also helping to mow Torrey after the amazing assortment of Spring flowers). Plants grew so quickly that sometimes Cliff and Sandy had to mow more than once in the same month just so other members could enjoy flying at our contests or other events. Because of their efforts to mow and also help maintain our mower, the club awarded them both with the Modeler of the Year Award in 2023. You can find Cliff’s bio as he was a previous Modeler of the Year winner But what about Sandy Hunter? With this award, she becomes the first woman to win TPG’s Modeler of the Year.
Sandy regularly traveled to RC gliding events with Cliff. They were like two peas in an RV pod and had been sharing those experiences since the 1990s when Cliff was regularly flying with the North County Clouds at San Marcos. Together they made many trips to Visalia or Gilbert, Arizona or other locations to enjoy thermal duration contest and the good friends. In those days, Shirley Finkenbiner would accompany Keith to the same contests and so Sandy and Shirley became good friends. It was common in those times for women to attend the meets and be a part of the camaraderie. Wives and children would also regularly attend the TPG annual holiday party, and as a result, most members knew each other’s families. We might think of reviving these aspects through potlucks or lunches at the field after contests as they were an important source of growth and engagement for the club.
But how did Sandy become an expert field mower? One unfortunate day in 2011, Cliff was involved in a rollover accident with fire equipment. Fortunately, he was okay, however it was up to Sandy to take over the mowing duties at their house while Cliff was recovering. Armed with the “I can do this!” attitude, despite a few broken water pipes, Sandy got the hang of it quickly. Until Cliff, sadly, passed away in January 2026, Sandy and Cliff split the mowing duties at their house as Sandy really enjoyed the fun of riding on the mower. At locations like Encinitas or Poway it might take 3-4 hours per site to do the job well, and while Cliff and Sandy often took turns for each lap, there were times when Sandy just kept going and Cliff couldn't get her to stop as it’s just too much fun. Sandy enjoyed the swallows that follow the mower in search of food and loves other birds in the area. She and Cliff had to be cautious of the bees that sometimes live in the trees, and she recalls one time when they were mowing and a large bee swarm came through and set up their nest in the trees at Poway. TPG remains fortunate that Sandy accompanied Cliff to many events and was willing to spend her time on a mower so that we could enjoy our time in the air. Thanks, Sandy (and Cliff) for your efforts!
