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What Is Soaring

Once you have tasted flight, you will walk this earth with your eyes turned skyward,
for there you have been and there you long to return.

- Leonardo da Vinci -

The Soaring Society of America provides very good information as to "What is soaring?" coupled with information for getting started in gliding.  Wikipedia offers this great write-up:

Gliding -- from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive sport in which pilots fly un-powered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes. Properly, the term gliding refers to descending flight of a heavier-than-air craft, whereas soaring is the correct term to use when the craft gains altitude or speed from rising air.[1] When soaring conditions are good enough, experienced pilots can fly hundreds of kilometres before returning to their home airfields, and occasionally flights over 1,000 kilometres are made.[2] However, if the weather deteriorates, they may need to make a forced landing, also known as "landing out", but motorglider pilots can avoid this by starting an engine.  

An LS4 glider crossing the finish line of a competition at high speed. It is jettisoning water that has been used as ballast. 

An LS4 glider crossing the finish line of a competition at high speed. It is jettisoning water that has been used as ballast.  

While many glider pilots merely enjoy the sense of achievement, some competitive pilots fly in races around pre-defined courses. These competitions test the pilots' abilities to make best use of local weather conditions as well as their flying skills. Local and national competitions are organized in many countries and there are also biennial World Gliding Championships.[3]

Powered aircraft and winches are the two most common means of launching gliders. These and other methods (apart from self-launching motor-gliders) require assistance from other participants. Gliding clubs have thus been established to share airfields and equipment, train new pilots and maintain high safety standards.  More ...