[SPLIT, CROATIA] – The Cigar Smoking World Championship (CSWC) has drawn to a spectacular close with the crowning of a world champion, Hauke Walter, also known as “The Iceman,” from Germany. The 2023 season of the CSWC, which saw the participation of a record number of nations, proved to be one of the most thrilling and inclusive editions since its inception in 2009.
Marko Bilic, the visionary founder of CSWC, expressed his excitement, stating, “The CSWC has grown beyond borders, bringing nations like Armenia, Jordan, Georgia, and more into our global cigar family. It’s not just a competition; it’s a celebration of camaraderie and passion for cigars.”
The 2023 CSWC season kicked off on May 1st, 2023, and witnessed preliminary rounds and national tournaments taking place until August 15th. The grand finale, the pinnacle of this worldwide cigar aficionado gathering, was held from September 1st to 3rd, 2023, in the picturesque city of Split, Croatia.
In an exhilarating display of precision and endurance, Hauke Walter once again etched his name in CSWC history. Competing against approximately 80 cigar enthusiasts from over 40 countries, “The Iceman” secured his second slow smoking world championship title. His remarkable achievement came with a smoking time of 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 7 seconds, surpassing his previous victory in 2018.
Walter’s first victory in 2018 was achieved with a time of 2 hours, 48 minutes, and 5 seconds, using a different cigar. Over the years, he consistently reached the three-hour mark but narrowly missed the podium in the previous season when his cigar extinguished at 2 hours, 42 minutes, and 18 seconds. However, in the final moments of this year’s championship, he delivered an astonishing performance, beating his season best of 3 hours, 1 minute, and 30 seconds.
Second place in this fiercely contested event went to Andrey Leontiev from Belarus, while Anastasiya Arsenova from Kazakhstan claimed the third spot. Both participants showcased their unwavering dedication to the art of slow smoking, each achieving a remarkable smoking time of more than three hours.
The 2023 CSWC season has set a new standard for the competition, uniting cigar enthusiasts from diverse cultures and backgrounds in a celebration of passion, skill, and friendship. As the CSWC continues to grow and captivate the world, it remains a testament to the enduring appeal of cigar smoking and the bonds it forges among aficionados worldwide.
For more information about the Cigar Smoking World Championship, please visit www.cswcworld.com.
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