REGULATIONS FOR THE
UNITED PIPE CLUBS OF AMERICA
PIPE SMOKING CONTESTS
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.
SANCTIONED COMPETITIONS
Pipe smoking clubs may apply to UPCA to receive official sanction for a pipe smoking competition. Clubs must agree to conduct their competition in accordance with all articles of these regulations.
ELIGIBILITY FOR TO COMPETE IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS
Only contestants of an UPCA affiliated club, who have competed in a sanctioned competition with a duly reported smoking time will be eligible to participate on the UPCA National Pipe Smoking Team in international competitions. Such persons may also compete as individuals or as a member of a UPCA affiliated club team. Each team may be comprised of a maximum of 5 smokers, whose names will be submitted by a local club affiliated with UPCA.Teams can be of mixed genders.
PARTICIPATION
Art. 1
Only persons over the age of 18 can take part in the competition.
Art. 2
The organizing club has the right to limit the number of participants. The limit must be stated when the contest is sanctioned by UPCA.
TOBACCO
Art. 3
Participants will only use the tobacco selected by the organizers of the competition.
Art. 4
The quantity of tobacco to be used will be three (3) grams.
Art. 5
The organizers will make the name of the selected tobacco known, together with the full program of the event, latest two (2) months in advance.
PIPE
Art. 6
The organizers will provide all participants with the pipes to be used at the beginning of the competition.
Art. 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.
Art. 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.
Art. 9
Should the pipe have a filter, the participant may remove it.
JURY
Art. 10
The jury has the full binding power, and shall be composed of at least three (3) persons:
a) the president UPCA 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 one (1) but no more than three (3) jury-members, selected on the preceding day of the competition.
Art. 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
Art. 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.
Art. 13
The participants will only be allowed to use a wooden tamper, fifteen (15) mm in diameter and ten (10) cm long, which will be supplied by the organizers.
Art. 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.
Art. 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.
Art. 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 8.5 by 11 inch 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 ofthe 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.
Art. 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.
Art. 18
The tobacco may be shredded only within this preparation period.
Art. 19
The participants are not allowed to humidify the tobacco in any way.
Art. 20
The participants are not allowed to put any extraneous matter such as chalk, filter or similar materials into the pipe.
Art. 21
After the allowed five (5) minutes, the time-keeper will remove the remaining tobacco.
Art. 22
When the competition-leader gives the signal, the participants must light their pipes, and time will be registered from then on.
Art. 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.
Art. 24
The participant whose pipe extinguishes will immediately hand over his time-registration card to the steward.
Art. 25
Should the steward suspect that a pipe is extinguished, he will be allowed to ask the participant to exhale smoke. If the pipe is totally extinguished and the participant has not signaled 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.
Art. 26
The disqualified participant must give up his time-registration card to the steward.
Art. 27
Should any pipe burn, the jury will disqualify the participant.
ADVERTISEMENT
Art. 28
No advertisement or trade name is permitted on the clothes of the members of the jury.
ENTRY FEE
Art. 29
The organizers will establish the entry fee for the competition; each participant will pay the fee, non refundable, until the registration deadline fixed by the organizers.
Art. 30
Last minute entry or replacement may be accepted or rejected by the organizers.
Art. 31
In addition to the entry fee, each participant will pay for any incurred cost. These are equally non refundable.
FINAL RESULTS
Art. 32
The jury will draw up the final list of the winners. The jury's decision is final and binding.
INDIVIDUAL WINNER
Art. 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 that the pipes have not been burnt.
Art. 34
The winner will be entitled to be called "Competition Champion", Regional Champion" or "American Champion", as the case may be.
Art. 35
The organizers may however offer special awards and may draw up a special list of winners for the ladies.
CLUB TEAM WINNER
Art. 36
Each club team may be comprised of a maximum of five (5) smokers, whose names will be submitted by the president of their UPCA affiliated club. The times recorded by the top three (3) winners of each club team will be taken into account.
Art. 37
Each team will be composed of members affiliated to the pipe club that nominated them. Teams can be of mixed genders.
Art. 38
The team-winning country will be authorized to use the title according to art. 34.
Art. 39
(Reserved)
COMPLAINTS
Art. 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.
Art. 41
No complaint will be accepted after the above mentioned time.
Art. 42
The organizers decline any liability for any damage or injury caused by things or persons, whether they are participants or not.
Art. 43
By entering the competition, participants implicitly agree to abide by the general UPCA Regulations, ipso facto.
AGREEMENTS AMONG CLUBS
Art. 44
Clubs belonging to the UPCA accept these regulations as the only ones applicable for the awarding of the titles according to art. 34 and 38.
Art. 45
The articles 10, 11, 12, 16.6) and 36 can be amended otherwise by a local or regional club for the organization of a club or regional championship. The title of national winner, eventually of winner of the clubs, is entitled in accordance to art. 33 to 39.
Art. 46
The UPCA reserves the right to adjudicate any cases which may arise.
