by PATRICK LEJTENYI

If pool is a glass of champagne, foosball is a pitcher of beer. It's faster, louder, sweatier, more chaotic and perhaps sillier. And these may even be valid arguments, until the game has been witnessed as played by professionals. Then, foosball becomes truly the table sport of kings.

Last month, at Bar Le Skratch in deepest Laval, dozens of foosball fanatics at all skill levels gathered to compete in a monthly tournament. The games are deadly serious: they determine the rankings and placements of competitors for the annual championships in June. The ranking system is complicated, but it has to be. There are hundreds of players, all competing for the fame, money and glory that foosball championship entails.

Working from Skratch

At the centre of the Quebec foosball storm is Adam Imanpoor, a 23-year-old Brossard native and co-founder, co-creator (with his longtime friend Dennis Karastamatis) and president of the Quebec Table Soccer Association (QTSA). The provincial association - each province has one - is the local representative of the Canadian Table Soccer Federation, and governs all things foosball-related here.

Imanpoor only began playing the game five years ago, but he developed rapidly. He conquered the Canadian intercollegiate scene in 1999 and 2000, came second in the province in 2001 and dominated the foosball world that year and the next, and placed seventh in semi-pro doubles. He has several other awards as well. At his peak during his CÉGEP days, he says, he was playing 56 hours a week. "I didn't do so well in school."

Imanpoor takes his foosball seriously. He has to, because four months ago, running the QTSA became his full-time job - administering the tournament, taking care of rankings, dealing with sponsors and acting as the association's rep to the International Table Soccer Federation (ITSF). The last year, he says, has been a whirlwind.

"Basically," he says, looking over at the game floor with its tables and dozens of players, "this all started with three other guys in a basement. Now, we have over 700 members across the country." The Skratch family, he says, has been extremely receptive to hosting all tournaments. He is very grateful.

Imanpoor says the job is "a dream come true. But it's very stressful. I work 10- and 12-hour days. There aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish what I want to accomplish."

There is a lot to do. He organizes the tournaments, rankings (amateur, rookie, semi-pro, pro and pro-master) and leagues, and travels. He has been to world championships in London, England, and Salzburg and Vienna in Austria (in July, he'll be going back to Vienna to compete in a tournament with over 100,000 euros in prize money). Canadians, he notes, are highly regarded in the foosball world.

"What distinguishes Canadians is our ability to do trick shots," he reveals. "We're trick-shot guys. The recognition around the world is incredible. We invented all the aerial shots and quick passing. Anywhere I go in the world, people come up to me and ask about trick shots."

Gloves and powder

The players that day in Laval were, for the most part, male, in their early- to late-20s, but of all ethnic backgrounds (European players, Imanpoor says, tend to be older). They all took the game seriously, arms flying back and forth between rod handles, brows furrowed in concentration. At times, a table would be quiet, with only the slightest movement of a row of figures. Then, in a flash, the small white ball would speed outwards toward the opposing goal, crashing and rolling among the plastic armless players in a blur. Wrists twirled, fingers danced. No one would look anywhere but at the table.

The players are also well equipped. Many are wearing gloves - "They improve the grip on the handles," Imanpoor says - while others use powders, special grips and any number of good luck charms that will help them win.

While Imanpoor talks, several players come up and interrupt him, asking him about rankings or to clarify. Imanpoor lays down the law authoritatively, and before long he excuses himself to grab a cordless mic and announce the beginning of another round and designates the table. He's a busy man these days, but proud of his accomplishments.

"We were the first to develop a ranking system in Quebec," he says. "We do it by calibre of player. Everyone is ranked according to a point system. It's become the standard across the country. The way it works is, the better the player you beat, the more points you get."

It's state of the art, he says, but very difficult to explain.

Tools of the trade

As Imanpoor walks among the competitors, he points out the characteristics of the standardized table the game is played on. "We use an Italian table," he says, "the Garlando."

Imanpoor then points out a few subtle but crucial points about the table that would escape the notice of the more casual foosball player.

"You'll notice the speed at which the ball travels and the telescopic rods [on which the players are attached - meaning that the rods don't protrude over the opposite side. He notes that telescopic rods increase safety, but are easily bent].

"The balls are plastic and glossy, and there are elevated ramps along the sides, which causes the ball to always be in motion," he says. He points out other variations with the flat calm and encyclopedic knowledge a mechanic would have for an engine: extensively, but casually.

"It's an extremely fast table, designed for no passage [meaning the ball is never stopped in play]," he says. "But the calibre of players we have here is too good for the table, so we're looking for a table that suits our needs."

Which table would that be? "We're looking at the new European model of the Garlando," he says. "The Euro-Garlando." The Euro-Garlando, which retails for around $1,500, is designed to slow down the pace of the game and increase player control. It has lower ramps; the players have rounded feet, which helps players pin the ball; the balls and surface are sandblasted and the nets are higher. Also, there are rubber stoppers rather than springs on the side of the table. There's more focus on the crucial mid-field, where games are won or lost.

Foos for life

Foosball is never far from Imanpoor's thoughts. Indeed, it has taken over his life, in many ways, but it has also enriched it. "The best part of table soccer," he says, "is the people themselves. I love sitting in a Timmy's after a tournament, talking about the games and the shots, and the trips that we take. I've built a lot of friendships. There are very few people who are as connected worldwide as I am."

For more information on the QTSA, visit www.quebecfoos.com