As I almost eerily predicted, the Cigar Smoking World Championship U.S. Qualifier did indeed see the return of an old hand when the Leaf & Bean in Pittsburgh opened its doors to the competition. As national champion of the last two years, Drew Emch, flew in to secure his third consecutive title, his main opponent turned out to be a former American champion from the Macanudo era, Christina Bartinowski.
“It was clear from the start that this was going to be a memorable competition,” says CSWC founder Marko Bilic. “Favorite Drew faced unexpected and strong competition from Christina, who proved that she was still a formidable competitor.”
As the race progressed, the two champions pulled further and further ahead and the competition developed into an exciting duel between them. However, Christina’s race almost came to an early end, not just once, but twice.
“Despite being nearly eliminated twice, Christina managed to keep the fire alive and prove her resilience and skill. Her determination was evident as she expertly held her cigar and pushed Drew to his limits.”
In the end, she was just a minute away from reclaiming the title, as Drew’s nerves allowed him to defend the title of slow-smoking champion of the USA. The winning time of 2 hours and 8 minutes, however, leaves a lot to be desired. If Emch and Bartinowski, who have both confirmed their participation in the grand final in Dubrovnik in three weeks, want to challenge the reigning world champion Hauke Walter and the others for the title, they will have to smoke at least another hour.
“Drew, in particular, has his sights set on the ultimate prize: the world title. He’s been pursuing this goal for two years. So all eyes will be on these two champions to see if Drew can finally achieve his dream or if Christina continues her resurgence and reclaims her place at the top.”
Third place this year goes to Bruce Goodman, who kept his cigar burning for just over an hour.
- Drew Emch 2:08:00
- Christina Bartinowski 2:07:33
- Bruce Goodman 1:01:53
