That is true enough. Part of the impetus to HPR is that it distances one from little toy rockets. If you happen to mention to a woman that you fly rockets, the typical reply is, "Oh, my retarded brother used to fly rockets." You then respond with : NO, I fly HPR. I have an explosives permit (LEUP), I drive 1000 miles to fly, and I burn up a thousand dollars of motors at a typical launch...My personal experience is the same. Not only does it discourage competition, but it also suppresses any other form of creativity that does not conform to the HPR dogma.
There is this pervasive attitude of, "Go ahead and play with your Estes toys and let us know when you are ready for REAL rocketry"
It is not really a MR vs HPR thing. We are all in this together.
Alan, L0