Norway came out of the gate running, if there’s such a thing as running in slow smoking. Once again the two tree-hour-men from last year, Tormod Skaaraas and Rolf Broch, broke that four minute mile of competitive smoking in one of the first cigar smoking world championship qualifiers of the season.
On May 4, twelve eager contestants gathered at Augusto Cigars in Oslo and just like last year Broch fell short of a win despite an impressive performance, to say the least. 3 hours 5 minutes and 36 seconds was just five minutes shy of last year’s result, but with a fifth place at the 2023 grand final, Skaaraas wasn’t going to be beaten. Despite any pre-season practice this year he came, saw and conquered at 3 hours 14 minutes and 8 seconds, and with quite a bit left on the cigar, it looks like his aim in September is a bit higher than number five.
“If the cigar hadn’t burnt out he would probably had reached four hours,” judge André Veiby says.
- Tormod Skaaraas 3:14:18
- Rolf Broch 3:05:36
- Brede Rørhus 2:15:00
