CROATIAN QUALIFIER AND TIME CHASE WITH BIG SURPRISES

The event took place at the iconic Havana 22, part of the prestigious Camelot company, the official importer of Oliva Cigars and owners of Havana Cigar Shop, the oldest cigar shop in Zagreb and Croatia.

From the very start, excitement was in the air. Guests and competitors gathered from all over the country, joined by Marko Bilić, founder of the CSWC, and Dino Tomić, the official CSWC instructor. The warmest of welcomes was extended by hosts Alen and Renata Kosanović, whose hospitality and dedication to the culture of cigars set the perfect tone for the evening.

A refined Hennessy cognac welcome drink opened the night before the competitors descended into the Havana 22 competition ring.

The competition itself was thrilling, filled with both intensity and camaraderie. The spotlight once again shone on Ivan Žižić, the reigning Croatian champion, who defended his national title for the third consecutive time, with an impressive time of 2 hours and 13 minutes.

But perhaps the biggest revelation of the evening was the arrival of Ivan Krišto. A newcomer to the slow smoking world, Krišto stunned everyone by taking second place with a superb 2 hours and 7 minutes, instantly becoming one of the most exciting rising names of the CSWC season.

And then — just ten days later — came an absolute shocker. At a Time Chase event in Split, hosted at the legendary Club Mareva, Krišto achieved a jaw-dropping time of 2 hours, 44 minutes, and 29 seconds. This incredible performance propelled him straight into the Top 10 of the season standings out of nearly 2600 competitors worldwide, firmly establishing him as the biggest surprise talent of 2025.

Not far behind was his very own mentor, Dino Tomić, who secured second place at the same Time Chase with a brilliant 2 hours and 32 minutes, placing himself at 15th in the season ranking. The remarkable fact that Tomić’s student has now surpassed even his teacher is a testament to both Dino’s skill as an instructor and Ivan’s natural talent and dedication.

With such results, expectations are sky-high for Ivan Krišto heading into the Grand Final in Split. A fresh face, but already a proven contender, he is without question one of the brightest new talents of the season — and one that the cigar world will be watching very closely.