Around 4 o'clock, everyone gathers in front of the ballroom to get the registration and table numbers. Although it is not mentioned much, everyone can feel a little excitement. Considering that the world record is 3 hours until this competition, it is quite a matter of curiosity what the night will bring. While talking about recording, chatting, etc., at exactly 5 o'clock, the ballroom doors are closing after everyone takes their place at the tables. From this moment on, it is forbidden for the contestants to leave the table until their cigars are extinguished or left voluntarily. With two matches and a cut, the two-minute preparation process is passed, and the room is completely silent. Since the morning, there is only smoke and silence in the hall where dark conversations are heard and according to the rules, the first 5 minutes must pass like this. But even afterwards, there are not many speakers other than those watching in the hall. This year there are over 100 participants and there is one thing everyone focuses on, their cigar.

Unfortunately, as always, there are sporadic fading out soon, and in the first 30-40 minutes that need attention, a considerable group of competitors are out of the race by extinguishing their cigars. In my first two qualifying rounds, since I'm from that caravan, I usually have the first 40 minutes. I am smoking my cigars unnecessarily fast and that is my fault. Stopwatch, 40 minutes. After a few seconds my ash falls off and that few seconds prevent me from getting a penalty. Because, again according to the rules, the first 40 minutes. You must not drop your ash. Time passes and passes, and when the stopwatch shows 1:29:59, I am relieved, because by that second I am breaking my own record. But unfortunately, until then, I had to smoke and shorten the cigar a few times in vain in order to correct the problem of uneven burning of the cigar at different times. Finally, 10min. until after 1:39:39 the cigar goes out and I join the caravan of departures. Comfort, 10 minutes to my own record. it's add up. Mirko Giotto, who was the champion of last year and who was sitting right next to me behind me, loses the fire of his cigar and is out of the race. The competition continues for at least one more time, and when the stopwatch shows 3:06:15, Russian contestant Alexander Shagay is the winner with a new world record. Approximately 30 minutes. To be able to smoke a cigar with a normal duration for 3 hours is truly an incredible feat. After this success, everyone goes to the expected dinner and the night continues and ends with different shows and dances.