Two Thumbs Up For Another Record-Breaking Cigarette Owners Rendezvous

First and foremost, if you were at the seventh annual Cigarette Owners Rendezvous hosted by Performance Boat Center in Osage Beach, Mo., this weekend and you didn’t get a chance to thank Brett Manire and Mark Waddington for continuing to organize such a first-class affair, let’s just take care of it right here—thank you Brett and Mark for another outstanding event. The owners of Performance Boat Center and their talented crew work tirelessly to ensure everyone’s needs are met before, during and after the run. And they did exactly that again this year.

A couple of the 111 Cigarettes on hand for the seventh annual Cigarette Owners Rendezvous on Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks ran up to Big Dick’s Halfway Inn on Saturday. Photos by Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

But here’s the deal, the PBC team is the entity that makes it all happen, no doubt about it, but without the legendary group of boats and the dedicated owners of said Cigarette models of all eras and sizes, the event would not exist. So hats off to you all for making the effort to come to the lake area and enjoy all the sights, sounds and establishments that it has to offer.

Tennessee’s Kelly Cook, the owner of a 42 Tiger named Mind If I Smoke, is one of 111 Cigarette Racing Team owners who showed up for the event to top last year’s record-setting total of 105 boats.

“We had a great time as usual,” said Cook, who was joined by his girlfriend, Shelly, and her son, Logan, and several friends from California, including Tank and Kelly Sears. “It’s always fun when you’re able to spend time with your closest friends whom you only see two or three times a year. Sadly it is always over way too soon but we’re making life memories.”

As you can see from the slideshow above, the smiling faces were every evident in almost every image Pete Boden took on Saturday.

Erik Christiansen, the president of Cigarette Racing Team, was on hand for second year in a row and had a great time.

“It’s an awesome event put on by an awesome organization,” Christiansen said. “It’s something special, as is seeing 111 Cigarettes in one place at the same time.”

Erik Christiansen, president of Cigarette Racing Team, had blast running a 38 Top Gun in the Cigarette Owners Rendezvous.

Christiansen also addressed the subject of Cigarette being under ownership during the Saturday night celebration.

“Change is good,” he told the Cigarette faithful. “It clarifies and helps you define things and keep moving forward. Both Skip Braver, our former owner, and John Ruiz, our new owner, are focused on maintaining the highest quality. They’re both committed to being good brand stewards.”

Between the energetic Performance Boat Center team, the enthusiastic Cigarette management and the passionate group of owners who showed up for the seventh annual event, it appears that the Cigarette brand is continuing the trajectory it carried into its first 50 years and beyond.

Two Thumbs Up For Another Record-Breaking Cigarette Owners Rendezvous

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