Rocky Patel to Launch Official Smoke for Cigar Smoking World Championship
The qualifying dates and locations have been set for this year’s Cigar Smoking World Championship, an international competition where contestants test their mettle to see who can smoke a cigar for the longest without relighting. And now we know what cigar competitors will be smoking.
Cigarmaker and event sponsor Rocky Patel has announced a special line for this year’s tournament fittingly called Cigar Smoking World Championship. While competitors will attempt to smoke their Rocky Patel cigar as slow as possible, consumers who just want to enjoy the new cigar can do so as the brand is expected in stores by the end of the month.
The Cigar Smoking World Championship line will consist of three sizes: Mareva, measuring 5 1/8 inches by 42 ring gauge ($8.75); Robusto, 5 by 50 ($9.75); and Toro, 6 by 52 ($10.75). The cigars feature a Mexican wrapper, Nicaraguan binder with Honduran and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. The official size that will be smoked at the competition will be the Mareva.
The Mareva will be shipping to retailers in 10-count boxes, whereas the other two vitolas will ship in 20-count boxes. Any retailer can carry this cigar, even if they are not hosting a competition event. The line is rolled at Tabacalera Villa Cuba S.A. (TaviCusa), Patel’s Nicaraguan cigar factory located in Estelí.
“I wanted to blend and produce a special competition cigar that can be enjoyed by everyone across the world for years to come,” Patel said in a press release.
The competition was founded in 2010 by Marko Bilic, president and founder of Cigar Club Mareva in Split, Croatia. There will be qualifying events in over 30 countries, culminating in the the winners competing at the World Championship in Croatia. Last year’s champion, Oleg Pedan of St. Petersburg, Russia, kept his cigar burning for a total of 3 hours, 26 minutes and 8 seconds.
Listed below are the dates and locations for the qualifying events that will be held in the United States. The winner of each event will get a chance to compete in the U.S. Championship on July 17 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Cigar Smoking World Championship Dates
March 12: BURN by Rocky Patel in Naples, FL
March 13: Finck Cigar Company in San Antonio, TX
March 14: Renegade Cigars in Dallas, TX
March 18: Havana Cigar Bar in Anthem, AZ
March 20: Lord Puffer Cigars in Escondido, CA
March 21: Cigars LTD in Fresno, CA
May 6: Rocky Patel Cigar Lounge in Norridge, IL
May 7: Smoking Cave Cigar Lounge in Highlands Ranch, CO
May 8: Gun Club of Tennessee in Nashville, TN
May 13: Diebel’s Sportsmens Gallery in Kansas City, MO
May 14: Safari Cigars & Lounge in Omaha, NE
May 15: Tobacco Grove in Minneapolis, MN
May 16: Smoke Inn West in Palm Beach, FL
July 17: BURN by Rocky Patel in Pittsburgh, PA
For a complete listing of the competition rules, prizes and international dates, please visit www.cswcworld.com.
