Originally Posted by
Fl1ingfrog
Glider pilots of course spend much of their time close to the stall particularly when thermalling. This stall will be of no surprise therefore and is repetitively practiced.
No, experienced contest pilots do not stall in thermals and do not practice stalls in thermals. Most know that even a small relaxation in stick back pressure will avoid the stall with no altitude loss. 55 deg bank with full ballast is routine flying in the desert SouthWest of USA. Anyone who could not thermal in those conditions without stalling would have few friends.