Pipe smoking has about as much chance of gaining Olympic recognition as it has of winning sponsorship from the British Medical Association, writes Paul Warner

But this did not stop hundreds of competitors from descending on Vienna for the annual World Pipe Smoking Championships, among them retired policeman Laurie Fray, from Lower Heyford.

Laurie, 54, who has been a pipe smoker for 20 years, took part in the event which attracted teams from 26 countries, including Croatia and Japan.

So what is the trick behind becoming a world pipe smoking champion? Contrary to what most people might think, using a lot of huff and puff just doesn't quite cut it. Pipe smoking champions have self-control, discipline and concentration.

Laurie said: "To do well in a championship, you have to light the pipe and keep it alight for as long as possible. The trick is to puff for as little as possible which keeps the tobacco burning.

"It's how the Continentals do it, and we British have decided to follow suit because it's the only way of beating them." When the haze of hectic competition lifted, the British team finished 13th out of 26.

In the individual competition, Laurie only managed to keep his pipe alight for 50 minutes, finishing 170th out of 328 competitors. The winner, an Italian, kept his pipe smoking for three hours and five minutes.

Laurie said: "It was a disappointing world championships for me. I'm usually able to keep a pipe alight for well over an hour, but not this time. But we all enjoy smoking a pipe and it's great to meet up with other people who enjoy the same hobby."

Laurie, a member of the Aylesbury Church Warden Pipe Smokers, is also a collector of pipes and has about 40 in his collection, some worth up to £200. Facts about pipe smoking *Pipe smoking dates back to the Romans

*North American Indian and African tribes smoked pipes as a form of power and prestige

*Christopher Columbus discovered pipe smoking during his voyage of discovery in 1492 and brought it back to Europe

*He called the leaf burning plant tobago, which over the centuries became tobacco.

*Antique pipes can fetch as much as several thousand pounds

*The Savinelli pipes used in this year's world championships cost around £100 each

Previous news story

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.