News — cloud chasers

Vaping was invented in 2003, and since then, for some, it has escalated far beyond just a hobby. Here are five facts about vaping and the culture behind it.

People are Serious About Their Accessories

And they make serious investments in them. If your tastes are expensive, there are lots of luxury vape pens to indulge with. There are some very sleekly designed, high-tech options that can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

A Russian oligarch once spent £550,000 ($723,816.50 USD) on a diamond encrusted vape pen for his girlfriend.

E-Liquid Creation Has Elevated into an Art Form

Daniel Walsh of FlavorZ is known to be something of a cult hero within the vaping community. This e-liquid creator has said that “vape is a pure art form, there can be no convincing or explaining. Either it tastes good or it doesn’t.”

Vape Culture is Alive & Well…

For some, vaping is more than just a hobby: it’s a way of life.

Vape lounges are open all over the US as well as a plethora of online communities where vapers can come together. They discuss where to find the best products and share tips on how to perform tricks. They also strategize how to remove the stigma and improve the image of vaping to those outside of the culture.

There are vape meets and even conventions where large gatherings of vapers come together to swap gadgets and trade flavors. The DIY spirit is strong in these crowds, as many make their own mods (vape gear made from repurposed materials like video game controllers).

…And Can Be Pretty Competitive

Vaping may itself already be a subculture, but within it is a sub-subculture of users who adjust their equipment to produce more vapor than one would inhale if smoking casually. They’re known as the “cloud chasers,” and they test their vaping skills against each other.

Creativity is of course a factor in these competitions. These professional vapers know how to impress the crowd with cool tricks, like blowing the smoke into rings, balls, ripples, and lots of other interesting shapes.

The Inventor of Vaping is Active in the Modern Vaping Scene

Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik came up with the concept of vaping when he was trying to find a way to consume nicotine without needing combustion. He found a breakthrough in 2003 when he used a piezoelectric ultrasound-emitting element to vaporize a nicotine solution.

We now use battery-powered heating elements to vape today, but this was the beginning of what we now know as vaping.

Lik has been quoted saying his “real passion, like many other inventors, is to leave some trace behind.”