With the 2022 Australian champion, Sarkis Akopov, once more taking home the title Down Under, Thomas Deghein winning in Belgium and Paul Kaste from Finland becoming Estonian champion, the qualifying season has come to an end. Now the time is here for what everybody’s been waiting for – the CSWC grand finale in Dubrovnik.
Judging by the last few months of competition there are a few favorites. Will three-time champion, Hauke Walter, reclaim the title after finishing third last year? After winning the German qualifier he’s obviously still in the mix, while Drew Emch from the US is back on top with 2 hours 22 minutes and 49 seconds in his win. Etan Patel from the UK is a constant threat and Poland, as always, show great strength, even without last year’s world champion Tomasz Żołądkiewicz in the top three. This year’s winner, veteran Marcin Sakwoski, came fourth at the grand finale in 2024, proving he has the ability to compete.
Other names worth looking out for are Alexander Shagai, Anastasia Arsenova, Peter Novysedlák, Tormod Skaaraas, Dsriysz Jacek, Igor Titievsky, Rafael Solano Portoreal and Mikael “Zeke” Zander, but in the end only one person made it past the three-hour limit this year. At the qualifier in Belarus Sergey Galevskii smoked for 3 hours 1 minute and 59 seconds, making him the main contender for this year’s title of World Slow Smoking Champion. Light ‘em up, folks!
Norway: Tormod Skaaraas – 1:59:21
Morocco: Julian Sanns – 1:07:42
Albania: Mariglen Gjata – 1:31:00
Mauritius: George Bolbach – 1:11:28
Serbia: Luka Vojnic – 1:48:07
Greece: Kontopos Sokratis – 1:21:00
India: Aman Layoria – 1:52:14
France: Oliver Steinhäuser – 2:10:05
Uzbekistan: Dsriysz Jacek – 2:27:47
North Macedonia: Ivan Argirov – 1:18:50
Kazakhstan: Igor Titievsky – 2:25:13
Reunion Island: Sabrina Fontaine-Monetti – 2:04:23
Switzerland: Tobias Hüberli – 1:30:52
Sweden: Mikael “Zeke” Zander – 2:08:44
Baltic: Alexander Shagai – 2:27:30
Georgia: Gagi Gigauri – 1:30:39
Romania: Victor Matei – 1:55:17
Latvia: Anastasia Arsenova – 2:26:00
Slovakia: Peter Novysedlák – 2:24:44
Austria: Daniel Friedenthal – 1:55:40
Spain: Thorsten Ebers – 2:17:30
The Dominican Republic: Rafael Solano Portoreal – 2:08:23
Germany: Hauke Walter – 2:13:25
Cyprus: Vadim Bocarovs – 1:57:35
Montenegro: Khanpari Nadirova – 1:37:40
Singapore: Mutia Faisal Chaniago – 2:01:30
Finland: Harri Kalliokoski – 1:35:31
Ireland: Sarah Dunne – 1:11:56
Hungary: Péter Adonyi – 1:26:00
Azerbaijan: Azer Mirtagavi – 2:15:22
Italy: Francesco Saia – 2:13:15
Japan: Hayato Mukaigawa – 1:56:30
Balkan: Dejan Radevski – 1:21:10
Denmark: Mads Groth Olsen – 2:22:50
Bosnia & Hercegovina: Ivan Kristo – 1:47:22
Israel: Ami Cohen – 1:47:00
Poland: Marcin Sakowski – 2:43:41
Belarus: Sergey Galevskii – 3:01:59
USA: Drew Emch – 2:22:49
Chile: Francisco Diaz Manrigeuz – 1:29:20
UK: Etan Patel – 2:13:57
Canada: Youssef Mokbel – 1:35:00
Thailand: Mutia Chaniago – 2:00:00
Belgium: Thomas Deghein – 1:23:10
Australia: Sarkis Akopov 2:05:24
Estonia: Paul Kauste, Finland – 1:24:32
For China, Malaysia and Croatioa, the results aren’t in yet while Jordan, Qatar, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Armenia and Kuwait all canceled.
