Our most recent company-wide pipe club meeting was a little different from the usual. We have a lot of pipesmokers here at Smokingpipes, as you may imagine, and those meetings are popular, but instead of piling into the usual conference room, this time we went to Low Country Pipe & Cigar, our brick & mortar store, for more space and to host a slow smoking contest.

Slow smoking contests are riveting athletic events filled with triumph and defeat, agony and exaltation, drama and intensity. We invited the major TV network sports divisions to cover the event, but something else must have been happening that day and they didn't show, which accounts for your not seeing it televised. Few more exciting events have taken place since the time of gladiators competing in the Coliseum. No pipe cleaners are permitted, and tamping may be performed only with pipe in mouth, so there were some exciting moments when contestants nearly forgot, but no one was expelled for that infraction.

The contestant keeping their pipe lit for the longest time after only a two-match light, wins. We're proud to announce that Truett Smith won the event with second place, with Shane Ireland coming in first (or last, depending on your outlook). We don't count him because, well, he's Shane. So we'd all like to take this opportunity to congratulate Truett, who is still enjoying his prize of a six-month, expenses paid, around-the-world luxury cruise booked almost entirely with pro-football cheerleading squads. Shane's first-place achievement won him the leftover wooden matches from the competition and a can of flat soda Sykes found in his trunk. Great job, Truett! (you too, Shane).

As exhilarating and dynamic as the competition was, the best part of these celebrations is the comaraderie. Conversation over pipes is the best conversation, and if there are two things we at Smokingpipes can do, it's smoke and talk. Often simultaneously. We had a great time, and wanted to share the event by posting some photos. We wish you had been there.