I don't think someone having a bog associated with their koi makes them ignorant and unappreciative of true koi kichi. The shows tend to be as you say for the competitive folks that claim to be the true koi kichi as opposed to the many tens of thousands more people that might not participate in showing at a show or participating in a club because they feel they are looked down upon. Just as this board and others steer the conversation and hobby the way they want it there is no clear indication that this is the best method for growing the hobby in the broadest sense, but that obviously isn't what many hard core koi kichi want. Based on the status quo show participation nationwide could be at critical mass.