The Hemisphere: Marathon Mania

The old rocking chair, long a symbol of comfort and repose in every habitant farmhouse, was transformed into a device of frenzy and fatigue in Quebec last week. A wave of rocking-chair contests called bercethons (from the French bercer—to rock) swept the province. Quebec was suffering a virulent recurrence of the marathon mania of the '305, with rockerthons, pianothbns, poolothons and countless other forms of zany endurance tests under way in almost every village and town.

The marathons' comeback was apparently touched off a year ago when a Montreal TV station staged a charity telethon. That gave a Montreal pianist, Andre Mathieu, an idea; he staged a pianothon, played continuously for 21 hours, and was promptly challenged and outdone by another musician, who played six hours longer. A merchant in Shawinigan Falls (pop. 26,903) recalled the rocking-chair marathons of the '30s, and promoted a bercethon in his store window.

Although other kinds of marathons were dreamed up, including even a haircutting marathon for barbers, the bercethon really caught on. Local dignitaries presided as judges. Business firms sponsored entries. Prizes, raised by contributions from eager crowds, ranged up to $1,000 for the contestant who could stay awake, rest only three minutes every three hours, keep one foot on the floor at all times, and outrock his rivals. The current champion is Aime Lavoie, a 33-year-old Cap St. Ignace deckhand, who rocked for 81 hours, 3 minutes and 52 seconds.

In the '30s, when the mania exhausted his patience, Quebec's Premier Alexandre Taschereau ordered provincial police to raid the halls where marathons were being held. So far there has been no hint of another crackdown. A few Catholic priests have preached about irreligious berceurs who stick to their rockers and miss Sunday Mass. But Premier Maurice Duplessis, who was at home last week coddling a cold, was reportedly planning no action. "What could Mr. Duplessis say?" asked Solicitor General Antoine Rivard. "He's rocking himself at the moment."