MUTIA CHANIAGO STRIKES AGAIN: ASIA’S SLOW-SMOKING QUEEN DOES IT FOR THE THIRD TIME
- expertcigar
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
There are victories, and then there are victories that start to look like a habit. For the third consecutive year, Mutia Chaniago has conquered the Thai qualifier of the Cigar Smoking World Championship, once again proving why she has earned the unofficial title of Asia’s queen of slow smoking
The victory in Phuket was anything but a surprise. Chaniago had already claimed the top spot at this year’s qualifiers in Hong Kong and Singapore, and she arrived at Churchill’s Cigar Lounge in Phuket Old Town with an increasingly intimidating reputation. Still, knowing Mutia is going to be difficult to beat and actually beating her are two very different things.
A Global Battle in the Heart of Phuket
The setting could hardly have been better.
Churchill’s Cigar Lounge, tucked away in the atmospheric streets of beautiful Phuket Old Town, once again welcomed cigar smokers from across the globe for an evening built around one simple question: who can smoke a cigar the slowest?
The answer, at least in Thailand, has been remarkably consistent.
Competitors from Thailand, Poland, Italy, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom whom all made Phuket their home and came together to challenge the reigning champion. Everyone knew what they were up against - Mutia Chaniago.
The Indonesian cigar connoisseur and owner of Ceasar’s Cigar Lounge in Jakarta has turned the Thai qualifier into something of her own personal territory. For three consecutive years, she has walked away with the title, making the challenge for everyone else increasingly difficult.
But that never seems to stop anyone from trying. And that, perhaps, is one of the things that makes the Cigar Smoking World Championship so special. Behind the competition, the times and the trophies, there is a genuine camaraderie between people who simply enjoy cigars and the social world that surrounds them.
Two Hours. Again.
Before the first cigar was lit, Mutia gave the judges an indication of what she had in mind.
Two hours.
It was exactly the target she had set herself when she won the Singapore qualifier earlier this summer. Anyone familiar with the competition knows that making a prediction like that can be dangerous. A slow-smoking competition has too many variables to guarantee anything.
But Mutia is not exactly known for making empty promises.
As the minutes slowly turned into hours, competitors began disappearing from the table one by one. Cigars went out, judges recorded the times, and another challenger was eliminated.
And then there were two.
Once again, just like last year, the final battle came down to Mutia and Chris.
There was something almost familiar about watching the two of them sitting across from each other, both determined not to be the first to surrender. The atmosphere became quieter as the competition entered its decisive phase.
But eventually, the outcome became clear.
Mutia had done it again.
She reached her two-hour target and secured another victory in Thailand, extending her remarkable run to three consecutive titles.
A Win for Mutia, a Ticket to Croatia for Chris
There was, however, an interesting twist to the result.
Under the rules of the Cigar Smoking World Championship, Mutia can only represent one country at the World Final. Having already chosen Singapore, she cannot represent Thailand when the championship reaches its final stage in Croatia. That means Chris gets to represent Thailand instead.
It is almost a repeat of last year's story, when the same situation allowed him to travel to Croatia as Thailand's representative.
For Chris, it is surely a bittersweet result. Coming second to Mutia is hardly a disgrace, but after another head-to-head battle, you can imagine that he would have preferred to reverse the order. Still, a ticket to the World Final is a pretty good consolation prize.
A Special Guest for the Prize Ceremony
The evening ended with the winners receiving their well-deserved prizes from a special guest.
Hans Rijfkogel from Asia Marketing Services happened to be in Phuket, and his presence turned out to be particularly fitting. As the representative for both Oliva and Les Fines Lames, he was perfectly placed to hand over the prizes to the competitors who had earned them after an evening of intense slow smoking.
And perhaps that is the best way to describe another successful CSWC qualifier in Thailand. A little competition, plenty of cigars, friends from around the world, and a winner who is becoming increasingly difficult to dethrone.
For the third year running, Mutia Chaniago is the queen of Thailand.