CSWC Belgium

For the first time ever the Cigar Smoking World Championship set foot in Belgium. The country being one of the strictest when it comes to smoking laws it wasn’t an easy feat for organizer and first time judge Dinny Vandamme and his wife Amelie Lozie, shop owner and Habanos specialist.

Finally they found a suitable private location and 25 beginners signed up for the competition.

“Record times weren’t expected, but everyone did their best and enjoyed the initiative,” Vandamme says. “17 participants were still in after 40 minutes and 8 people smoked for over one hour. The top two even made it to one and a half hours which was unexpected for everyone.”

As so often before it became a close race in the end. With a difference of only 47 seconds Anthony Baert beat Gille Tanghe and became the first ever Belgian slow smoking world champion.

1. Anthony Baert: 1:31:27
2. Gilles Tanghe: 1:30:40
3. Patrick Lozie: 1:09:25