Long/Slow Smoke Contests...

[snowyowl]

I have seen these listed at meetings/conventions, but how do they work, beyond being the last smoker.

What are the general rules?

What tobaccos are best to practice?

Are there limits to the pipe size used?

===

Found a nice link or two, but who has done it:

https://pappyjoesblog.com/pappys-tips-for-long-smoke-contests/

https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/tips-for-winning-your-next-slow-smoking-competition

 

[cosmicfolklore]

What are the general rules?

What tobaccos are best to practice?

Are there limits to the pipe size used?

The rules can vary from contest to contest. But, I find that most of these involves aromatic tobaccos, so I don't participate any more. Since more people smoke aromatics, it gets more of a response from members.
But, basically, you are given two matches and a measured amount of tobacco. There are some that let you use your own pipe, and some cost a lot more money to join and give you pipe, and some double screw you by making you smoke a nasty aromatic in a hick corncob. But, you are to light and keep your fire going the longest. Last man wins. Some have quirky rules about how you have to leave the pipe in your mouth while tamping, but... I have no idea why.

 

[lawdawg]

Pipe smoking contests make about as much sense as a relaxation contest. That being said, I would presume that it is a good test of technique; the best smokes are the ones that tend to stay lit but burn slow.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It also promotes good pipesmoking form, by rewarding those that have learned to focus on the smoke and sloooooooow down. It also is a great way to get over a hundred jabbering men to shut up and set down. ::

 

[jaytex1969]

I'm far from an expert, but I happened to have just participated in my first slow smoke last night.
Each entrant was issued a clay pipe and 3 grams of the same tobacco. Also a match box with two matches in it.
Five minutes were allowed for packing the pipe, then two minutes for lighting.
Tamping was allowed only if the pipe was in your mouth.
I suffered a bout of beginner's luck. I got 59 minutes out of my run and won a nice Viking Classic pipe.
It was my first use of a clay pipe, as well. I was impressed with how it smoked.

 

[crashthegrey]

One of the best ones is near the Kaywoodie factory, in Wappingers Falls, NY. $65 gets you a brand new Kaywoodie with a couple of nice natural ones randomly in the bags. You smoke an English tobacco, no aro. You get at least a tin of tobacco and usually more, plus all you can eat buffet and hours of a small, intimate pipe show. Most bring drinks to share and there is cake. Heh. Pretty much standard rules for any official contests, 3 to 5g tobacco, a couple of minutes to prep the tobacco and load the pipe. 1 minute to use the two matches to get the pipe started. First 10 minutes there is no drinking. Tamping (often a dowel) must be done with the pipe in the mouth because of ember chasing, levels the playing field. Often a couple of prizes are nice pipes for the last few out. Depending on the contest, times vary. Often the hour and a half mark is placing until you get to super competitive markets like in Europe. These are relaxing and fun, and yes, a good way to shut a room full of chatty men up for a bit.

 

[jaytex1969]

Can anyone explain the purpose of the "no drinking" part?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Maybe to keep some with tongues of leather from making their tobacco more humid, thus burning slower. It seems like a great cheat, but I bet in practice it's really not that great of a cheat.

 

[winton]

I have only been in the slow smoke contests at the Chicago Pipe Show. We use the rules of the UPCA, United Pipe Clubs of America. Apparently some people try to move one particle of tobacco burning and move others onto it, to get a better time. This is the reason that tamping must be done with the pipe in the mouth. Water is allowed after a certain point.
If you go to the site below, you can get all the details. Of course if a club or other group wants to have a contest, they make their own rules.
http://www.unitedpipeclubs.org/

 

[warren]

It's a low impact, no body checking competition for the most part. Throw a little adult beverage into the mix and ... so drinking is not usually involved in the actual competition. Later?

 

[pappymac]

At the annual New Orleans Pipe Night they have used McClelland 5100 Red Cake (for the past 3 years anyway). Next year they will pick another straight Virginia.
They don't have a set rule for when you can tamp. I've seen people tamp with the pipe in their mouth and some tamp just holding the pipe. I will say that I've seen more people holding and tamping go out earlier than those who tamp with it in their mouth.
For the last five years, the longest winning time has been 1 hr. 27 minutes.

 

[mso489]

I think I'd resort to some of my regular pipe smoking habits, like with tamping or something else, and disqualify myself in the first ten minutes. jaytex', you're a natural. Maybe you could go on the road as a slow-pipe-smoking hustler. I like the idea of a walk-on winning. If people really learned the contest rules and practiced, it would become a narrow and familiar field. It works better as an ice-breaker where anyone might win.
I remember when running 5K and 10K races was mostly amateur and fun participatory festivals. After a while, people took it seriously, and the same people who were competing in high school and college cross country and track showed up, and it gradually became simply a good athletic context with little public participation. An hour and a half of continuous smoking is impressive, whoever does it.

 

[unkinjoe]

I've seen you tube video's of cigar smoking contests, but never a pipe contest. The cigar one has got to be the weirdest most boring contest ever.

 

[jaytex1969]

I'd like to see a slow smoke with some of those hyped up Mexican soccer sports announcers covering it. That would spruce things up a bit!

 

[snagstangl]

cigar smoking contests? Wow that seems super boring

 

[Chasing Embers]

cigar smoking contests? Wow that seems super boring

What if it was being done by strippers?

 

[warren]

"Full Contact Slow Smoking Contests" are the answer. Slap Fighting, topless ladies delivering the pipe, blend and handling the matches during lighting. The ladies lean in to light the pipe, smokers would have to concentrate on the lighting, not on the swaying lady parts in front of their face. After the second light, contestants would be allowed to challenge other smokers to a slap fight, no slapping the pipe. When a first and second place have been determined, those two smokers would start a second bowl laying foot to head, parallel, and begin leg fighting to determine the winner. If the "tumbled" smoker retains his pipe throughout the tumble, no loss of cadence, an immediate rematch may be demanded by the "tumbled" smoker. At no time would the "pipe ladies" be permitted to leave the stage. Or, perhaps they should be allowed to mingle with the audience. I'm still working through the rules.
Should attract the attention of ESPN and stimulate the growth of pipe smoking while, at the same time, depress the numbers of happily married smokers. Win-win? Perhaps.