Competition Regulation

1       PURPOSE OF THE COMPETITION

1.1      The purpose of the competition is to have participants or teams, to smoke a pipe for the longest possible period without relighting it and to determine who does this longest. Each participant or team will have to use the same amount of tobacco, a similar pipe and tamper.

2       PARTICIPATION

2.1      Only persons over the age of 18 and members of pipe smoking clubs affiliated to the national pipe club (which must be a member of the CIPC), can take part in the competition.

2.2      The organizing association has the right to limit the number of participants. However, the limit must be stated when the association is appointed to organize the competition.

3       TOBACCO

3.1      Participants will only use the tobacco selected by the organizers of the competition.

3.2      The quantity of tobacco to be used will be three (3) grams (+\- 0.1 grams).

3.3      The organizers will make the name of the selected tobacco (which must be an easily obtainable tobacco internationally) known, together with the full programme of the event, latest two (2) months in advance.

4       PIPE

4.1      The organizers will provide all participants with the pipes to be used at the beginning of the competition.

4.2      The pipes will be made of briar, straight and classical in shape, with or without a removable filter and will be able to hold at least three (3) grams of tobacco. They will be supplied by the pipe club organizing the competition.

4.3      The organizers will announce the exact dimensions of the pipe to be used for the competition at least two (2) months in advance following the provisions of art. 4.2 above. The organizers will also send a sample of the pipe to any club on request, against payment.

4.4      Should the pipe supplied by the organizer come with a filter, the participant may remove it if so desired.

5       JURY

5.1      The jury has the full binding power, and shall be composed of at least three (3) persons and a maximum of five (5) persons, as follows:
           5.1.1    the president of the CIPC or his nominee
           5.1.2    a competition-leader, from the organizing pipe club, whose duty is to appoint the stewards, announce the decisions and results, and if necessary, the intermediate times of the competition
           5.1.3    at least two (2) of the jury-members, being the presidents of national pipe clubs or their nominees, nominated at the CIPC General Assembly meeting on the preceding day of the competition.

5.2      Each group of ten (10) participants will be attended by at least one (1) steward. The stewards will be appointed by the competition-leader. They will control the competition, constantly supervising the participants and use the time-registration card placed in front of the participant to register the time achieved by each participant. The stewards will distribute pipes and other items stipulated below in art. 6.4. They will seek instructions from the jury whenever the need arises by raising a red card. The jury is allowed to replace a steward during the competition if found inefficient.

6       PARTICIPANTS

6.1      Each participant will receive a numbered card and an optional name plate which is to be made visible. Each participant will then sit at their respectively numbered table/seat.

6.2      The participants will only be allowed to use a wooden tamper as supplied by the organizers, with a diameter of between fourteen (14) and fifteen (15) mm and ten (10) cm long.

6.3      When the competition-leader gives the signal, the steward will supply each participant with one (1) pipe, one (1) tamper as described in art. 6.2 and two (2) matches in a box; after examining the pipe, it shall be placed in front of each participant. Any defective pipe may be replaced.

6.4      When the competition-leader gives the signal, each steward will place one (1) packet of tobacco in front of each participant. The participants are not allowed to touch the tobacco until the starting signal is given.

6.5      The steward will control and distribute:
           6.5.1    the pipe
           6.5.2    the packet of tobacco
           6.5.3    the wooden tamper
           6.5.4    two (2) matches in a box
           6.5.5    an A4-sized sheet of paper
           6.5.6    a time-registration card

6.6      The steward will ensure that only the above items are in front of each participant. No other items (tools, lights, special glasses etc). Smartphones and personal devices must remain on the competitor’s person.

6.7      Each participant must be aware of and respect that:

           6.7.1    the tamper may only be used when the pipe is in the mouth
           6.7.2    Participants must NOT knock or shake the pipe in any way. It is allowed to invert the pipe to tip out ash with a slight tap in an ashtray; however, any lost tobacco cannot be returned to the pipe.
           6.7.3    the participant may remove the mouthpiece from the pipe for a few seconds during the competition to get any liquid out of it by knocking it on the sheet of paper or by blowing through it
           6.7.4    the sheet of paper can be used by each participant to wipe the tamper during the competition.
           6.7.5    participants are allowed to drink after the first ten (10) minutes of the competition. The steward will put water on the table, as directed, 10 minutes after the start. There will be glasses on each table at their disposal.
           6.7.6    it is not allowed to keep the pipe alight by blowing in the bowl of the pipe through neither the mouth nor the nose. These are grounds for disqualification.
           6.7.7    Silence during the competition is essential, do not make unnecessary noise.

6.8      When the competition-leader gives the starting signal, the participants will open the packet of tobacco and will have five (5) minutes to fill the pipe.

6.9      The tobacco may be shredded only within this preparation period.

6.10   The participants are not allowed to humidify the tobacco in any way.

6.11   The participants are not allowed to add or put any extraneous matter such as chalk, filter (refer to art. 4.4), or similar materials into the pipe. The use of special hand creams or fingertip additives are not permitted.

6.12   After the allowed five (5) minutes, the steward will remove the remaining tobacco.

6.13   When the competition-leader gives the signal, the participants must light their pipes, and time will be registered from then on.

6.14   The participants shall have one (1) minute to light the pipe by using one (1) or both matches. Any match which breaks or does not light will be replaced by the steward.

6.15   The participant whose pipe extinguishes will immediately hand over his time-registration card to the steward. After signing the card, the participant must leave the table/competition room as quickly and quietly as possible.

6.16   Should the steward suspect that a pipe is extinguished, he will be allowed to ask the participant to exhale smoke. If the pipe is totally extinguished and the participant has not signalled it in due time as stated in art. 6.14, the steward will request the jury to disqualify the participant for lack of fair play.

6.17   The disqualified participant must give up his time-registration card to the steward.

6.18   Should any pipe burn, the jury will disqualify the participant.

7       ADVERTISEMENT

7.1      No advertisement or trade name is permitted on the clothes of the members of the jury or participants (only club pins etc).

8       ENTRY FEE

8.1      The organizers will lay down the entry fee for the competition; each participant will pay the fee (non-refundable) until the registration deadline which is fixed by the organizers.

8.2      Last minute entry or replacement may be accepted or rejected by the organizers.

8.3      In addition to the entry fee, each participant who requests last minute/late entry or replacement (art. 8.2) may be liable to pay for any incurred cost (non-refundable).

9       FINAL RESULTS

9.1      The jury will draw up the final list of the winners. The jury’s decision is final and binding.

10    INDIVIDUAL WINNER

10.1   The winner shall be the participant who smokes the longest, provided that the pipe is not burned, and the participant did not break any of the regulations. The jury will inspect the pipes smoked by the top ten (10) smokers to determine whether the pipes have not been burnt.

10.2   The winner will be entitled to be called “World Champion” (Individual), “European, Asian or “American Champion”, and “World Cup Champion” (Individual) as the case may be.

10.3   The organizers may however offer special awards and may draw up a special list of winners for the ladies.

11    NATIONAL WINNER

11.1   Each team may be comprised of a maximum of five (5) smokers, whose names will be notified by the president of the national pipe club. The times recorded by the top three (3) winners of each national team will be considered.

11.2   Each team will be composed of members affiliated to the national pipe club that nominated them. Teams can be of mixed genders. Teams can also be of mixed nationalities (but need approval from the national presidents).

11.3   The team-winning country will be authorized to use the title according to art. 11.1.

12    WORLD-CUP

12.1   Each team may be comprised of a maximum of 5 smokers (minimum of three (3)), whose names will be notified by a local club affiliated to a national club belonging to the CIPC. The times recorded by the top three (3) winners in each local team will be considered.

13    COMPLAINTS

13.1   The participants are allowed to appeal against the decision of a steward or timekeeper by lodging a complaint with the jury up to ten (10) minutes after the competition ends.

13.2   No complaint will be accepted after the above-mentioned time.

13.3   The organizers decline any liability for any damage or injury caused by things or persons, whether they are participants or not.

13.4   By entering the competition, participants implicitly agree to abide by these CIPC Regulations.

14    AGREEMENTS AMONG NATIONAL CLUBS

14.1   Clubs belonging to the CIPC accept these regulations as the only ones applicable for the awarding of the titles according to art. 11.1 and 12.1.

14.2   These articles can be used by a national club for the organization of a national championship. The title of national winner (winner of the clubs) is entitled in accordance with art. 11.1 to 11.3.

14.3   The CIPC Board reserves the right to decide any cases which may arise. During competitions the CIPC jury will decide any cases.