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LISTEN | Saskatchewan Roughriders seeking the next Gainer the Gopher:
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have a new job opening — one that involves oversized shoes, sideline antics and breaking down the barriers between man and rodent.
The reigning Canadian Football League (CFL) champions are hosting auditions for the next person to step into the suit of its beloved mascot Gainer the Gopher.
The job description says the team is looking for someone who can “learn, embody and adapt the Gainer persona,” as well as improvise and engage with fans.
Before stepping into the mind — or paws — of the mascot, Don Hewitt, the first-ever Gainer, says aspiring mascots should understand one important thing.
“The number one quality would be love … the Roughriders team,” Hewitt told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. “Show the love of the team through your actions on the field and at the stadium and understand how important the team is to the people here in this province.”
Gainer the Gopher greets the crowd during the first half of CFL action between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Calgary Stampeders, in Regina on Saturday, July 6, 2019. (Matt Smith/Canadian Press)Lacklustre premiere
When Hewitt first ran onto the Roughriders’ gridiron as Gainer in 1977, he remembers fans didn’t quite know what to make of the team’s new mascot.
“There was absolute silence,” Hewitt said. “Nobody knew what was going on with this gopher.”
Hewitt, then a local TV reporter, says he didn’t have much of a choice. Former Roughriders president Gord Staseson, whom Hewitt was assigned to do projects for, told him he’d be wearing the suit the very next night.
He says he didn’t even have time to figure out what he was going to do. And the crowd didn’t make it easy on him.
“I think it was pretty much silent for the rest of the game,” said Hewitt.
A spectator and Saskatchewan Roughriders mascot Gainer the Gopher stand for a photograph during a spring training scrimmage in Saskatoon, Sask., on Saturday, May 20, 2023. (Heywood Yu/Canadian Press)
Eventually, with plenty of practice — and some help from Doug Jacques, who wore the Calgary Stampeders mascot suit at the time — Hewitt says he learned how to work the crowd. Before long, fans fell in love with him — or rather, with Gainer.
Hewitt says whoever puts their name forward to play Gainer should remember, “it’s bigger than you.”
“I never thought of myself in the suit, that’s one thing Doug Jacques taught me,” said Hewitt. “‘Don’t tell anybody it’s you. You keep it a secret. It’s ‘Gainer the Gopher.’”
WATCH | Son pays tribute to father who served as Gopher for 30 years:
The son of CFL’s most beloved gopher says his dad was a legend both on and off the field
A key member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders organization has retired. The man who served as Gainer the Gopher for 30 years has hung up his fur and while someone else is taking over — Gainer’s son says no one can replace his dad in his heart.
This is Adam Ennis’ tribute to his father.
Hewitt says he managed to keep his role as Gainer under wraps until some eagle-eyed friends in the stands figured it out.
“Gainer [would] throw footballs into the crowd,” said Hewitt. “I was left-handed, I had a certain way of throwing a football, and … some of my friends sort of figured out, that’s got to be you in the suit.”
His success in the costume came with a pungent aroma.
“In those days, they didn’t have the fabrics that they do now. It was basically like [wearing] a thick carpet,” said Hewitt. “The suit stunk to high heaven … people didn’t really want to hang around Gainer the Gopher very much.”
Gainer the Gopher interacts with fans during the second half of CFL football action between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders in Regina on Saturday, October 9, 2021. (Kayle Neis/Canadian Press)
Still, he says it was a small price to pay for the joy the mascot brought — even during difficult seasons.
“The team was losing in those days,” said Hewitt. “So it brought a smile to somebody’s face as [the team] was racking up losses. And…that was the best part.”
He says the fact Gainer embodies the underdog may be a part of his enduring appeal. He is a “prairie dog,” after all, he says.
“The essence of Gainer the Gopher is the pride that the province of Saskatchewan has in their football team and it’s unique in Canada.”