Interview with the champion of Spain José Llinás

Today we will talk with Jose – the winner of the Latin Cup in Spain and the bronze medalist of the World Cup in Russia

HB: Hello, Jose, tell me a little about yourself. How do you live, what do you do?
José: Hi, I live and feel great, as I do what I like the most. I work with my hands and
I create. My two hobbies, DIY (self-sufficiency) and hookahs, are united.
HB: How long have you been practicing hookahs? What is your experience?
José: I have been making hookahs for about 3 years, and since I started doing this, I have made a very big jump.
I want to go ahead and create my smithy. My experience is self-taught, and it has helped me a lot when I worked
in a lamp factory where I went through all the processes. I started to produce hookahs, because I saw that the
system was simple, and I had a simple and cheap hookah at the time. I had a bottle of skull and I told myself …
I’m going to make for yourself something special. Now I think only about how to make a hookah from what I already
have, and how to make a oven for melting aluminum.

HB:Many of our members make custom hookahs specifically for the Battle. But almost no one does it
for himself, outside of Hookah Battle. Why did you start making custom hookahs? How did you come up with this
thought?
José: I always think about such things. I walk down the street and notice everything that may come in handy for me
making hookah.
HB:What are your impressions of your first battle? What is it to become the best hookah master of Spain?
José: Feelings were mixed. Frankly, I was a little disappointed in the industry. When I came to my first Battle and won
it, I could not believe it. I was noname and win, for me it was incredible. I don’t know other people in Spain
who devote themselves to this. So for me, and sorry for what I’m going to say, the best hookah master is me,
hahaha. I am serious because I do not know about anyone else. In Spain, this enthusiasm is not so much as in
Brazil, Russia or Turkey. People do not trust a homemade hookah, because they think that it does not work well
and is expensive. Handicraft work requires a lot of work and is something unique. And it has a price.

HB: Winning Hookah Battle let you find a sponsor who paid for a trip to Russia for the World Cup, right? Tell us
about this trip and your impressions.
José: Participation in Hookah Battle helped me a lot to find a sponsor. That was Adalya and, in particular, Alberto,
who took me to Russia, and I am very grateful to him and the brand. Without his help this dream would not have
been possible, and I will never forget it.

HB: How is the preparation for Latin Cup 2019 going? Are you planning to take the cup again?
José: My hookah is ready for a month. And, as I always say, if I go, this is for victory or at least for the podium,
since i’m traveling alone in a car from valencia to seville and it is quite stressful.
HB: What do you like to smoke at home? What brands of tobacco?
José: I don’t often indulge myself in tobacco from abroad, because when I have money, I invest in materials and my
little workshop. I usually smoke Adalya, Serbetli, Mazaya, Zomo, and recently Starbuzz Serpent.

HB: What would you advise to beginner Hookah Battle athletes ?
José:  I advise those who come to the Battle to think of something original and powerful, that you can tell by sight
… with this I will win, and especially have a good time, that you do not perceive competitiveness in the air,
but as a kind of brotherhood where we all like the same thing.
To say goodbye to you, if I win this year in Seville, I will have to get a tattoo with all my achievements,
hahaha, no kidding.

You can also take part in the next Latin Cup in Spain and repeat the José experience, register: https://latin.hookahbattle.com/es/