REGULATIONS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL PIPE SMOKING CHAMPIONSHIPS

PURPOSE OF THE COMPETITION

The purpose of the competition is to have participants or teams to smoke a pipe for the longest possible period of time 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.

PARTICIPATION

1. Only persons over the age of 18 and members of pipesmoking clubs affiliated to the national pipe club, member of the CIPC, can take part in the

competition.

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.

TOBACCO

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

4. The quantity of tobacco to be used will be three (3) grams.

5. The organizers will make the name of the selected tobacco known, together with the full programme of the event, latest two (2) months in advance.

PIPE

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

7. 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.

8. 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. 7 above. The organizers will also send a sample of the pipe to any club on request, against payment.

9. Should the pipe have a filter, the participant may remove it.

JURY

10. The jury has the full binding power, and shall be composed of at least five (5) persons:

a) the president of the CIPC or his nominee

b) a competition-leader, from the organizing pipe club, whose duty is to appoint the time-keepers, announce the decisions and results, and if

necessary, the intermediate times of the competition

c) at least three (3) jury-members, being the presidents of national pipe clubs or their nominees, nominated at the CIPC-meeting on the preceding

day of the competition.

11. 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 supervise 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 in art. 16 herein. They will seek instructions from the jury

whenever the need arises. The jury is allowed to replace a steward during the competition if found inefficient.

PARTICIPANTS

12. Each participant will receive a numbered card and may be given a name plate which is to be placed visibly. Each participant will then be seated at

their respectively numbered table/seat.

13. The participants will only be allowed to use a wooden tamper as supplied by the organizers , with diameter allowed to vary as of fourteen (14) up and

until fifteen (15) mm and ten (10) cm long.

14. When the competition-leader gives the signal, the steward will supply each participant with one (1) pipe each; after examining it, the pipe shall be

placed in front of each participant. Any defective pipe may be replaced.

15. When the competition-leader gives the signal, each steward will place one (1) tamper as described in art. 13 and 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.

16. The steward will control that only the following items are in front of each participant:

a) the pipe

b) the packet of tobacco

c) the wooden tamper

d) two (2) matches in a box

e) an A4-sized sheet of paper

f) a time-registration card.

Each participant will have to keep in mind that:

1) the tamper may only be used when the pipe is in the mouth

2) it is strictly forbidden to knock or shake the pipe in any way or by any means whatsoever

3) the participant may remove the mouthpiece from the pipe for a few seconds during the competition in order to get any liquid out of it by knocking

it on the sheet of paper or by blowing through it

4) the sheet of paper can be used by each participant to wipe the tamper during the competition.

5) participants may remove ash from the pipe, but may not put back any tobacco which falls out during this operation

6) participants are allowed to drink after the first ten (10) minutes of of the competition. There will be water and glasses on each table at their

disposal

7) 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.

17. 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.

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

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

20. The participants are not allowed to put any extraneous matter such as chalk, filter or similar materials into the pipe.

21. After the allowed five (5) minutes, the time-keeper will remove the remaining tobacco.

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

23. 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 time-keeper.

24. The participant whose pipe estinguishes will immediately hand over his time-registration card to the steward.

25. Should the steward suspect that a pipe is estinguished, he will be allowed to ask the participant to exhale smoke. If the pipe is totally estinguished

and the participant has not singaled it in due time as stated in art. 24, the time-keeper will request the jury to disqualify the participant for lack of

fair play.

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

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

ADVERTISEMENT

28. No advertisement or trade name is permitted on the clothes of the members of the jury.

ENTRY FEE

29. The organizers will lay down the entry fee for the competition; each participant will pay the fee, non refundable, until the registration deadline fixed

by the organizers.

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

31. In addition to the entry fee, each participant will pay for any incurred cost. These are equally non refundable.

FINAL RESULTS

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

INDIVIDUAL WINNER

33. 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.

34. The winner will be entitled to be called "World", "European", "Asian" or "American Champion", as the case may be.

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

NATIONS WINNER

36. 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 taken into account.

37. Each team will be composed of members affiliated to the national pipe club that nominated them. Teams can be of mixed genders.

38. The team-winning country will be authorized to use the title according to art. 34.

WORLD-CUP

39. Each team may be comprised of a maximum of 5 smokers, 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 taken into account.

COMPLAINTS

40. The participants are allowed to appeal against the decision of a time-keeper by lodging a complaint with the jury up to fifteen (15) minutes after the

competition.

41. No complaint will be accepted after the above mentioned time.

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

43. By entering the competition, participants implicitly agree to abide by the general CIPC Regulations, ipso facto.

AGREEMENTS AMONG NATIONAL CLUBS

44. Clubs belonging to the CIPC accept these regulations as the only ones applicable for the awarding of the titles according to art. 34 and 38.

45. The articles 10, 11, 12, 16.6) and 36 can be settled otherwise by a national club for the organization of a national championship. The title of national

winner, eventually of winner of the clubs, is entitled in accordance to art. 33 to 39.

46. The CIPC reserves the right to adjudicate any cases which may arise.