The Leader-Post from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada • 20

B4 Sport The Leader-Post Regina, Saskatchewan Thursday, April 14, 1983 Sweeping up I- since losing a pair of heart-breakers on opening day, was born in Edmonton and lived in the Alberta capital until he was 14 years old. He moved with his family to Seattle when his father, a pharmacist by trade, went into semi-retirement. Cooper has been residing in Colorado Springs for three years now He works tiiere as district sales manager for a computer company. I didnt do any curling when we lived in Edmonton I was a bowler, the 40-year-old Cooper says. When I finally took up curling, I was 23 years old and the youngest guy in the club Leader-Post photos by Michael Burns Sjur Loen and Hec Gervais nine years ago (left photo) and this Loen has grown up By Brian Smiley L-P Sports Writer Fortunately for Sjur Loen, curling is still one of the few non-contact sports.

As a long-haired 15-year-old back in the 1974 Air Canada Silver Broom, Loen who stood just 5-2 was involved a modern-day David and Goliath meeting. The slingshot was replaced by a curling stone, and fortunately for Loen, the giant turned out to be the friendly one from St. Albert, Alta. Mr. Hector Gervais, a broth of a man who stands 6-3 and at that time came in around the 300-pound mark.

The game wasnt remembered so much for the outcome 7-3 in favor of Canada but the proceedings. The shutterbugs had a field day focusing on little Loen, who was covered by the shadow of the mighty Hector. At this 25th gathering of national champions staged at the Agridome. Gervais surveys the action from his perch high in mediaville, while down on ice level the name Loen graces a Norwegian sweater. However this Loen bears no resemblence to the little guy of 74.

Hes no longer a skip, or a shrimp As they say, you can't stop progress or, in this case, nature. The Prince Valiant hairstyle is gone, replaced by the well-groomed look of a businessman. As for the 5-2 frame, Loens pituitary gland clicked into action over the years and hes now propelled into a 6-2 curler. Hes now the one casting shadows and raising a few eyebrows with his fine shotmaking as third for the Eigil Ramsfjell foursome. He (Loen) introduced himself to me the other day, Gervais recalled.

I couldn't figure out who he was at first But then he said, Bern. 1974 Then they took our picture to show that hes not little any more and Im not so big any more. Gervais might only give up an inch or two to his former adversary, but he need not worry about the weight department. Loen is a slim and very trim 160 pounds. Gervais has now trimmed down to the 270 range, and feeling top form But the Oscar for the biggest physical change must go to Loen.

Actually, I started growing right after that 74 Broom, Loen related Wednesday. "I remember our game clearly. Hes (Gervais) still a very large man. This is Loens third appearance at the Broom, having also carried his countrys colors into the 1982 event in Gar-misch-Partenkirchen, Germany. His rink finished with a 5-4 record, losing 5-4 to Jurg Tanner of Switzerland a tiebreaker.

The excitement surrounding the Broom still remains the same, admits Loen. But the 83 Broom will be looked back on with special fondess. Hes no longer behind the T-lme which is adjustment enough but the pressure which hovers over one who must deliver last stone is now lifted from his broad shoulders. For the first time in his Broom career, hes having a good time. The Canadians very nearly had to make a roster change prior to their afternoon tussle with the Swedes yesterday.

Secondman John Kawaja woke up with an aching back, and by the time he got to the Agridome, it was feeling even worse. The Canadians were given an open-air ride to the rink, compliments of the Regina Fire Department, and Kawaja said the fresh air didn't help a bit. To the rescue came Sandy Archer, the former trusty trainer of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Archer worked on Kawaja for some 45 minutes, and come game time, Kawaja was ready to proceed Had Kawaja nut been able to play and he said it almost came to that the Canadians would have called in their tilth man and coach, fellow Torontonian Dave Walker Archer observed that his patient wound up playing pretty well. There are times when curling can leave you in stitches, and last night Scottish second Andrew McQuistin no doubt wished hed had some. Flaying against Austria.

McQuistin suddenly jumped over the boards and ran madly down the hallway towards the dressing room, laughing and a bit-redfaced. When hed returned, he was wearing blue jeans. In front of fans, McQuistin had suffered the potentially embarass-mg incident of a tear in his pants. He won the award for the quickest change of the night. Don Cooper, whose United States rink has rattled off four victories in a row Austria's Manfred Fabi combs week way up Playing third? Its great, Loen chuckled.

It the best position to play. Theres a lot less pressure You always know you have a man alter you It wasn't always this way tor the personable 24-year-old now a third-year economics student Oslo While the 74 event entered his name into the Silver Broom history books, it was also a rough introduction to the world of international competition We had tun. and it was a good time." Loen reminisced But it showed to me that my team wasn't good enough to play the Silver Broom. We finished 2-7 and it was very frustrating. But it was a very good experience for us.

Loen and Ramsfjell teamed together by mere chance. Loen and his '82 crew-departed company on good terms, with Norwegian veteran Kristian Suerum, a six-time Broom perlormer, assuming the skipping duties Loen was letl looking fur a team, while Ramsfjell was a man short The two approached each other and the duo has proved to be a suecesslul unit As for Soerum, he lost out the semi-finals of the Norwegian playoffs After six rounds, Loen and his rink-mates have managed tour victories against two losses Optimism reigns supreme within the rink, but as Loen aptly summed: All the teams here are very strong. One miss here, or a miss there, and you could find yourselt trouble. Leader-Post photo by Ian Caldwell Hec Gervais is no stranger to hitting. The friendly giant from St, Albert AUa can toss the granite with the best ol them.

However, the holder of one world curling championship and five purple hearts, almost made his mark with another form of hitting in the world of football. Here in Regina as an interested spectator, big Hector recalled his brief football career. Back 1953 as a 17-year-old, Gervais, who stood 6-3 and weighed in at 276, was given a tryout by the Edmonton Eskimos at their training camp. Gervais, who had never played football up to that point, impressed the coaches to the point where he suited up for a exhibition games. However, his lack of experience became apparent and he was sent down to the junior ranks with the Edmonton Wildcats.

The Wildcats wouldnt pay for my gas, related Hector, so my dad said to heck with that. I quit after a couple of games. And its lucky for the curling fraternity that he did. LudUbr-Post photo by Roy Antal his moustache with his broom And the Agridome's No-Smoking rule takes a Savage beating I.