Vaping’s growing popularity among top athletes

by Competize · 10/10/2023

More people are taking up vaping every year. Data from Euromonitor suggests that the number of people vaping worldwide has risen from about 60 million five years ago to about 90 million today. Vaping encompasses all demographics in terms of age, wealth, ethnicity and so on.

One in 20 Americans vape, and these include some of the most famous celebrities, including Hollywood A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio and music stars like Katy Perry and Willie Nelson. But what about sports stars and athletes? Are there vapers among their circles too? Of course there are, let’s meet them.

vaper's growing popularity in athletes

Contenidos

Nate Diaz’ s cloudy press conference
Jimmy White has cleaned up his act
Venus Williams is a force of nature
Rickie Fowler clouding up the fairway

Nate Diaz’ s cloudy press conference

Probably the most famous vaping athlete is Nate Diaz. After 15 years and counting in the UFC, the California-based athlete is one of the sport’s most well-known and successful fighters of all time. Most vaping athletes like to keep their hobby a secret, and if you catch them having a quick puff, it is a blink and you miss it moment, typically featuring the compact CCELL vapes that are so popular in the US market or something similarly compact and subtle. Not our Nate, however. He puffs with pride, and even pulled out his vape and started generating some impressive clouds during a live press conference a few years ago.

Jimmy White has cleaned up his act

Six-times world snooker finalist Jimmy White must be one of the most enduring professionals in the history of sport. He turned pro in 1980 and has been a constant fixture ever since. In the 1980s and 90s, he was renowned for his wild party lifestyle, and has himself admitted that it cost him several titles. These days, he takes his health much more seriously, and has put the more damaging vices behind him. Instead, he indulges in a few puffs on his favorite vape to calm his nerves between frames.

Venus Williams is a force of nature

Jimmy White has been able to continue to play at a high level into his 60s by focusing on his technique and concentration. Snooker is not a physically demanding sport. Tennis is a polar opposite, demanding extreme fitness, strength and flexibility. So in some ways, Venus Williams’ 29 year professional career – so far – is even more impressive than Jimmy’s 42 years. When she leaves the court, she has a set wind-down routine that includes as few quiet moments with her vape.

Rickie Fowler clouding up the fairway

There are not many sports where an athlete can enjoy a vape between shots. We’d all be entertained to see a third baseman taking a quick puff before a pitch or a quarterback calmly putting his vape back in his pocket before taking the snap, but it’s not going to happen. Golf however – now here is a sport that’s perfect for vapers. Ambling down the fairway after a solid drive off the tee, contemplating your next shot out in the fresh air, what could be better? 10 times tournament winner and current world number 25 Rickie Fowler is probably the most famous vaper in pro golf.

However, when it comes to blowing impressive clouds on the links, Aussie pro Wayne Perske is surely the master! The man from Brisbane is impossible to miss on the golf course with his somewhat portly physique and the constant vape cloud that surrounds him.