Inside Cigarette Racing: Craft, Culture, And Global Reach

Sun, salt, and surge: that’s the surface. Underneath, a living engine of people and craft keeps Miami’s water culture roaring. We head straight into that engine room with Cigarette Racing’s Alex Thompson at the Miami International Boat Show, where heritage meets restless innovation and a legendary name proves why it still draws a crowd. From the aura of Miami to the hum of a tuned-outboard idle, this is a story about speed, design, and the communities that form around both. 

We dive into Cigarette’s global expansion and why Japan, with its tuner car roots and love of power, has become an unexpectedly perfect fit. Alex unpacks how deep customization turns boats into signatures: hand-stitched upholstery, cool-touch materials, disappearing TVs, and layouts that reflect how owners actually live on the water. Events like poker runs and the Lake of the Ozarks rendezvous reinforce that culture, gathering old-school classics and new models in one place to celebrate the brand’s shared DNA. Along the way, we surface the true origin of the Cigarette name, a piece of lore that adds texture to its myth without veering into nostalgia. 

Then comes the new: the 42 Huntress Unlimited, a center console designed to deliver real overnight capability without losing the crisp handling and performance buyers expect. Alex explains how the team balances R&D with restraint, keeping the silhouette and feel that signal Cigarette while iterating where comfort, storage, and tech make the biggest difference. We also talk talent—how long-tenured craftspeople, some over 40 years in, protect quality standards, and why breaking into marine careers often starts with the simplest move: show up, shake hands, be remembered.

 If you love performance boats, luxury design, and the intersection of brand, culture, and craft, this one runs wide open. If this conversation sparked ideas or gave you a fresh view of Miami’s marine world, follow and subscribe, share it with a friend who loves fast boats, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find us. 

Wards Marine Electric
https://www.wardsmarine.com/

Wards Way YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@WardsWay75

Transcript

Miami’s Culture And Industry

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Miami. A global playground celebrated for its beautiful oceans and famous lifestyle. Behind all of the sunshine and success are people, products, and companies powering this magic city. This season, the Wards Way podcast brings you face to face with those who energize Miami's iconic way of life and bring us closer to the water.

Live From The Boat Show

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Welcome to the Miami International Boat Show. This is Wards Way, 2026.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

Welcome to the Wards

Cigarette Racing Introduced

SPEAKER_02 0:36

Way Podcast. I'm here at the Miami Boat Show with no other than Cigarette Racing, Alex Thompson, the marketing manager. Welcome. Thank you for being here.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

Final day of the Miami Show. How has it been?

SPEAKER_00 0:46

It's been great. You know, it's it's the Miami Boat Show. What else can you say? You know, you've got great weather this time of year, fortunately. Had a lot of good foot traffic here in the convention center. Um, you know, I understand, you know, a lot of the shows moved back to Collins Avenue. I think that's a that's a really positive move. But um, you know, it's it's always exciting for us to be able to show off this, you know, historic brand to you know the public.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

I was just gonna say cigarette racing has is just such an iconic brand and and so synonymous with Miami. And you know, we talk about Miami is a lifestyle powered by industry, and cigarette racing is reflective of that.

Global Expansion And New Markets

SPEAKER_02 1:19

So, what is cigarette racing doing right now? Let's talk about that. Everybody knows, you know, race boats, go fast boats, they're red, but let's let's talk more from an industry perspective.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Well, I mean, we continue to be innovative. Yes. You know, obviously new models, I noticed, yes. Yes. Uh obviously everybody, you know, our our brand is one of the most powerful brands, definitely in the United States, and we're working on expanding that globally with our new uh global dealership network that we're you know, I have to say, I was at the Dubai show um in 2024, and cigarette racing was there, and we actually had a great conversation.

SPEAKER_02 1:50

It was nice, it felt like old home week. Right. It was nice to see a fellow South Florida company. You know, how are we doing? So, yeah, I know that you are in Dubai even.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Yes. Um we just had recently we've got Japan now. Wow. Uh they're really enthusiastic, especially about the power. Really? Yes, they are.

SPEAKER_02 2:05

Is that a market that you knew that that would be interesting, or is that a surprise?

SPEAKER_00 2:10

It's you're you're around Tokyo, you've got they love speed, you know, and especially with the tuner culture out there with the cars, you know, and plus, you know, because our boat, you know, they love modifying their cars over there, you know, as a lot of people do here in the United States, as we've seen from the global phenomenon of Fast and the Furious series. Sure. Um but because we offer so much customization, that's a real draw for us in the Japanese market because no two boats are alike for cigarettes, like a fingerprint. And so being able to allow the client to put their own uh spin and and own uh kind of soul into their boat. Sure.

Radical Customization Options

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Um we do everything from hand stitching the city. I was gonna say what are those options? You know, what can they do? Paint, you know, it I always like to say generally that if it's within the realm of the capabilities of our whole, there's not much we can't do for a client from starlight seeings, disappearing TVs, you know, we've got our cool touch upholstery that doesn't get hot in the sun, um, everything from overhead showers, you know, the really the sky's the limit. And you know, we don't have inventory, so all of our boats are built, you know, custom for each client. Um, but that that's a really big draw. Plus, you know, you get the iconic logo on there.

SPEAKER_02 3:22

Absolutely. So now what other type of events do does cigarette racing do?

Events, Poker Runs, And Community

SPEAKER_00 3:26

Because I know we have boat shows, but you guys are pretty active in some other we're a sponsor of the Florida Power Boat Boat Club, uh owned and operated by Stu Jones, a great friend of our brand. Uh he puts on some of the greatest events as far as poker, you know, the poker runs and that he does. Uh we do a lot of events with our dealers, you know, one in particular being our rendezvous up in Lake of the Ozarks, where we have a dealer up there. Uh last year, I think we had between 140 and 160 registered cigarette boats. Um that's that's always a really big event for us. Um and we just added you know cigarette New Jersey. And so I'm I'm looking into you know assisting them with some of their events, maybe go you know into the Hamptons Montauk area. Uh once it's that's quite disruptive. Yeah, once it's a season. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:08

Oh, absolutely. Um all of your your boats are made in Miami.

Made In Miami Heritage

SPEAKER_02 4:13

Yes, that's correct. We are Miami born in Miami. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 4:16

American made. You know, so that's that's been uh a lot of people like that. You know, it's it we've you know, we we were established in 1969 by the legendary Don Arno. Um you know, he was a he was uh up in the north uh from the north

The Real Origin Of “Cigarette”

SPEAKER_00 4:32

himself. Um actually a little bit of interesting information. Sure. You know, there's a lot of uh misinformation thrown around about how we get the name cigarette. Tell me.

SPEAKER_02 4:41

Oh you know, that's a great question.

SPEAKER_00 4:42

And you know, a lot of people think, oh, the boats are salin, you know, they're long and they're shaped like a cigarette. Well, that's not the case. So when Don was a boy growing up in the New Jersey and New York area, he would read stories about this uh Irish mobster back in the pro prohibition era that uh would, you know, smuggle rum, cigarettes, and just so happened that he had what was known as the fastest boat in New York waters called the cigarette. So Don loved the story. He named the cigarette in honor of Charles Vanny Higgins, um, the mobster, and uh so much so that Don even named his dog Higgins after this this Irish mobster.

SPEAKER_02 5:21

You know, I love these conversations because I never knew that, and yet our businesses do business together and have done so for decades, and yet I I never really knew that. That's a fantastic story.

SPEAKER_00 5:31

So the the truth, the truth is out there. The truth is out there now. We've we finally got it.

SPEAKER_02 5:35

You heard it here. What's new for cigarette coming up?

New 42 Huntress Unlimited

SPEAKER_00 5:39

Well, we just released uh a different version of our 42 Huntress called the 42 Huntress Unlimited. Um, you know, all the bells and whistles, you know, obviously whatever pretty much whatever a client wants. We've increased the cabin space to really make it a truly overnight boat. And it and pretty pretty spectacular considering it's a 42 center console. Uh we've got a lot of stuff in in the works right now. I can't really you know discuss it too much, but um exciting stuff that you know we're we're we listen to the market, you know, and we we know what our you know core you know uh fan base uh wants, and so we listen, and so we're working on a lot of research and development right now to bring some pretty cool stuff in the next year

Innovating Without Losing Heritage

SPEAKER_00 6:18

or two.

SPEAKER_02 6:18

You know, I've been hearing that a lot in in Miami specifically, and obviously at this show, there's a lot of passion and ingenuity and trying to continue. You know, I sat yesterday with a CEO of a company that's 130 years old, and they just kept talking about they want to continue to innovate and they want to continue to push things forward, and I get the sense of that too. Because cigarette racing, you you have a brand, you have a quality product. It would seem it would be so easy to sit back and say, We're just gonna, you know, continue to make it. The fact that you're continuing trying to evolve, who's behind that? Is that your culture? Is that the owner?

SPEAKER_00 6:52

Is that yeah, it's interesting, you know, we have such a strong following. I've never, you know, uh my background is uh a lot of it's with luxury auto, like brands

Upcoming Shows And Private Events

SPEAKER_00 7:01

with Lamborghini, Ferrari.

SPEAKER_02 7:02

And was that an easy transition?

SPEAKER_00 7:05

It was, yeah, especially with cigarette because you get the luxury, you get the speed, the power, um, and this the same, virtually the same demographic. Um, but with all the brands that I'm that I spoke of, like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Cigarette, you've you've got a diehard following. And so our goal is to keep innovating but not straying away from our heritage.

SPEAKER_02 7:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

Uh, so that that's obviously very important to us because if it's not broken, don't fix it. Right. And you know, it it's great to see, you know, uh current clients, past clients, you know, go out to our events with boats from the 70s. I was gonna say we must get to see some real mistresses, uh, tigers, you know, bullets. Um you know, it's always fun to see those boats because they love them so much that they keep them, they keep them in great condition and they love running them. And yeah, it's it's a very, very passionate group of people. So um, you know, we we listen to the market in general and we want to produce uh continue producing the the best boats uh you know in the world. So next show on on tap for you is So we our our Cigarette South Florida dealer is gonna be doing the West Palm show.

Hiring Craftspeople And Passion

SPEAKER_02 8:14

Okay. So boats will be in the water there, yes, correct.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

Um and then as for us with you know with major boat shows, this is the the last one of the year for us, but we'll be doing a lot of private events um, you know, here in the Miami area, Fort Lauderdale, and then like I said, assisting our dealerships all over the world with whatever events that they want to do in their marketing uh have you experienced uh just to go into a completely different direction because I I know that it's a challenge as you want to do all these events and want to continue to innovate and build these boats.

SPEAKER_02 8:43

Have you struggled with any of the hiring challenges that others have and finding help? Is it because you've been around that that you have like generations working for you?

SPEAKER_00 8:52

How has it been in time to keep we've got individuals that have been with us for over 40 years? Same. You know, and and the people that were for us, they're they're artists, you know, whether it's electrical, whether it's paint, you know, whether it's the hand stitching of our upholstery. And so they really put their they put soul into their work. And so, you know, I think uh hiring in general is is always gonna be you gotta find the right person for the right job, and they have to have that that uh that passion behind them to be able to really execute uh to the to the quality and standards that we are known for.

SPEAKER_02 9:27

Right. I know that um we we struggle with that uh too. It's not so much that there just aren't people out there, you know, you hear a lot of misinformation that you know people don't want to work

Careers In A “Mysterious” Industry

SPEAKER_02 9:36

or they're not. I I think in in many ways our industry is still very mysterious to many. No, not a lot of people know about our industry. So um one of our goals with the Wards Way Podcast is trying to um be out there and and and show, you know, obviously builders and uh elements of the industry that people can start trying to be a part of. I mean our industry is incredible, all the way from you know, obviously the end user, we have we have builders, we have manufacturers, the accessories, there's there's secondary and tertiary um there. So I I think there's always a place for people to enter into the world, but I do think it's because we're a little mysterious and in showing what we have to offer.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

And you know, my advice that I would give people out there that are really, you know, the younger generations that you know, a lot of people I remember struggling to break into the career, get my first job and networking, networking, networking. Right. You know, come to these events, talk to people because you know, it might not materialize immediately, but if something does come up, the person that you talk, they're gonna remember you.

SPEAKER_02 10:36

I'll remember, yeah, you know, if I can.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

It's that extra effort. It's like, you know, that guy came to see me, or that that girl, you know, she really loves this, she's a great graphic artist, whatever it is, those are the people that are gonna be noticed because obviously in some of these jobs, you can see whether it's on LinkedIn indeed or whatever it might be, that a thousand people have applied. How do you stand out? Sure, you know, and that's what we want people that stand out, you know, to further our brand. Because, you know, let's face it, our brand is very standout-ish. That's even

Stand Out Through Initiative

SPEAKER_00 11:06

a word. But you know, we're very aggressive. Uh, the brand is uh very loud uh and very luxurious. And so anybody who takes the initiative to really get out there and and start hitting the pavement and you know, introducing themselves, that's what I would recommend to people getting into the business, whether you're an engineer, whether you're a you know a yacht architect or a marketing person like myself, um, those are the people that are going to stand out to to organizations, you know, people that put forth the effort.

SPEAKER_02 11:35

Absolutely.

Closing And Subscribe

SPEAKER_02 11:36

Well, I appreciate your time, Alex. Thank you for being here. Thank you for representing such a tremendous brand. We wish you all the best in your final day of the show. And and uh again, thank you for being here and being part of the Wards Way.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

It's a pleasure. I'm happy to be here.

SPEAKER_02 11:48

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

Thank you. Thanks for joining us. Make sure you subscribe to the Wards Way podcast.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

We're just getting started.