Next new nation to debut on the slow smoking circuit was one of the smallest, Andorra. With low taxes it’s also one of the most smoker-friendly and the qualifier took place in conjunction with their cigar festival Festival Art de Vivre.
“Last year we wanted to add something exciting to the program so we organized a long ash competition,” Christian-Denis Carensac, founder of Festival Art de Vivre, says. “We were also well aware of the Cigar Smoking World Championship so last year at InterTabac we met with CSWC founder Marko Bilic and judge Sarah Saunders and here we are.”
25 people participated, most of them newcomers.
“For most of us this is an amusing event, but I understand now that there are those who are really serious about it. There was especially one guy who was really invested in the competition. He was explaining to everyone what and how to do things and we all expected him to win. Instead he lost focus on his own cigar, so it went out. He was very frustrated.”
There’s a chance it had to do with the altitude as well. The festival took place in La Massana, at 1,230 meters above sea level.
“At that altitude there’s less oxygen in the air, after all,” Carensac says. “It could make it harder to keep the cigar going.”
In the end the newcomers prevailed in a tight race. Alain Pinet became the first Andorran champion ever when he smoked for 1 hour and 50 minutes. Philippe Granier was only one minute and 20 seconds behind and Ramzi Abdouni came in third at 1 hour 29 minutes and 50 seconds.
“The judge Pierre Gustavsson was very impressed by these beginners,” Carensac says. “And we all had a lot of fun.”
In other words, the stage is set for a really interesting qualifier next year.
- Alain Pinet 1:50:00
- Philippe Granier 1:48:40
- Ramzi Abdouni 1:29:50
