On the first day, God created Trivia. On the second day, God created Oz. Oz pretty much took it from there.

It may seem like a stretch to put Jim "The Oz" Oliva up there with the creator of the universe, but Oz has spent decades presiding over a trivia contest that has outpaced, outscaled and outlasted pretty much all of its competitors.

Oliva, 62, has been crafting Trivia questions for about 30 years, often with his longtime collaborator, John Eckendorf. To say they are the John Lennon and Paul McCartney of Trivia is a stretch, says Oliva -- after all, "those two guys had talent." Nevertheless, being the author of a trivia contest known for being as difficult as it is fun is no small feat.

Nor does it come without hazards. Through the years, a kind of Oz cult has emerged among Trivia die-hards. Some Trivia regulars have tried to peer into Oliva's mind by simply recording everything they see him buy, from shampoo to magazines.

"You see him at the movies and it's 'Oh, where's my notebook,'" said Joyce Newby of the Trivia team "Freakshow."

But Oliva wears his burden lightly.

"If I were playing on a team, we would end up in 200th place," said Oliva, "because I would have so much fun talking to everybody ... I'm more into the whole camaraderie of the contest."

Even if he doesn't take himself too seriously, Oliva has had a hand in creating one of Stevens Point's most unique and inclusive traditions. And it was good.