Rolf is already advertising heavily on his website.
The show will immediately precede the end of the Tall Ships' Race 2004, whose competitors are due to sail into Cuxhaven from August 15 to 18. The entrance fee per day will be five euro, 12 for all three days.
Rolf says that Cuxhaven has a special appeal to Americans, as over five million Germans emigrated from its port in former times. Today, he adds, its infrastructure is capable of coping with three million hotel guests per year. "Airports in the north German population centres of Hamburg and Bremen are hardly further away than the O'Hara Airport from the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles/Chicago," Rolf notes. Additionally, there's a ferry to and from the United Kingdom.
Good for carvers
Cuxhaven is also fairly close to Denmark, making it easy for that country's famed high-graders to attend. "Rainer Barbi doesn't have to travel far, either," says Osterndorff, "and Karl Joura and Günter Kittner from Bremen can get here pretty fast, if they decide to come."
European pipe smokers are well aware that much needs to be done to turn the tide for their hobby. Though anti-smoking lobbies in continental Europe hardly rival their American counterparts for ferocity, tolerance could well be part of the trouble! Pipe smoking is far more affected by moderate bans than cigarette consumption. For example, when employers in Germany impose a no-smoking rule, they generally also provide a zone for smokers to retreat to. But they're understandably reluctant to extend smoking breaks to the duration of a meaningful bowl. This restriction even prompts some pipesters to switch to cigarettes or cigarillos.
Compared to 2001, Germans bought 1.8% more cigarettes in 2002 and over 12% more hand-rolling tobacco. According to these figures issued by the federal statistics agency, a staggering 22.2% increase was also recorded for cigars and cigarillos, whereas sales of pipe blends were down by 8.4%.
Dealers do little to create a boom
"The trouble is that tobacco vendors do very little for pipes," one famous German carver complains. "They get performing cigar rollers in every other weekend, but rarely use their imagination to boost pipe sales."
That's why German enthusiasts may voice some scepticism about the show's initial proportions, but generally agree that any effort is worthy of their support.
Rolf Osterndorff acknowledges that shows need time to grow, and is set on turning this one into an annual event. "Frank Burla started off in his own house, 30 years ago," he notes, "Today, Chicago is the biggest pipe show in the world."
Such things must develop, Rolf admits - but grins: "I haven't got 30 years time."
(October 25, 2003)