Cuban cigar: the unusual contest for the longest ash

As every year, Havana, the world capital of the Cuban cigar, hosted the Festival del Habano from 29 February to 4 March, with the longest-ash contest as its high point.

A Cuban cigar contest unlike any other.

The principle is simple: entrants smoke their cigar while staying as still as possible so that the ash does not fall. The result is a few stiff necks and upset stomachs, since the head has to be held back for more than an hour.
More than 450 men and women took part in this 18th edition. The record currently stands at 16.9 cm, with cigars measuring 17.8 cm. The event serves above all as a promotional showcase for the Cuban cigar world and draws enthusiasts from around the world every year.
Entrants say that matching the record calls for very high-quality Cuban cigars, and that an ash length of 5 to 7 cm indicates that the cigar was rolled to the standards of the trade. In the contest, cigars are taken down to 2 cm from the end, with a few pauses along the way. Patience, more than anything, is what the exercise demands.

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