Superfan Bobby Dubeau attends game in all nine CFL stadiums over 15 days to set Guinness World Record

When he sets foot in BC Place on Sunday afternoon, long-time CFL fan Bobby Dubeau will complete the final step on his road to becoming a Guinness World Record holder.

With one final contest under his belt, the 37-year-old native of Delta, B.C. will have attended a game in all nine CFL stadiums over the course of just 15 days — the fastest someone has ever accomplished that feat.

The journey began on Saturday, June 24 when the Calgary Stampeders hosted the Saskatchewan Roughriders at McMahon Stadium and has now captured national attention. Initially a closely guarded secret to protect the integrity of the record, Dubeau has been overwhelmed with support since his story went public earlier this week.

“It’s been pretty incredible. I didn’t think it was gonna get much attention, but I started doing interviews in Winnipeg on the radio and eventually, the teams got wind of it,” he said in an interview with 3DownNation ahead of Sunday’s game.

“Once my face got out there, especially on TSN the other day, people started stopping me in the airport and saying, ‘Hey, you’re setting the record tonight.’ I’ve kind of become like an every man for the CFL fans.”

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Growing up in a family of fans on the West Coast, Dubeau drifted away from the game for a period of time before rekindling his love five years ago. He has not missed a game since and was inspired to undertake his 15-day odyssey after travel delays due to an Atlantic hurricane allowed him to take in games in both Montreal and Ottawa during the same weekend last year.

“I thought it’d be kind of cool to see every stadium eventually,” he recalled. “I checked the schedule this year when they released it and there was this anomaly where there were Eastern games all in one weekend and Western games all on the next and the weekend before. The only weird logistical thing was basically yesterday and today, going to Hamilton and then B.C. in under 24 hours.”

He booked the trip for his own enjoyment, before an article on an NFL fan’s similar journey inspired him to dream bigger. On a whim, he filled out an application with Guinness World Records to see if he could make the feat official.

“Apparently they get like 1,000 applications a day and reject almost all of them,” Dubeau explained. “Somehow mine got through with an approval.”

The actual trip began on Thursday, June 22 in Winnipeg when his hometown B.C. Lions upset the Blue Bombers — making it 10 days attended in 17 days. However, he added a second stop in Winnipeg to tighten up the timeline and make the record nearly unbeatable.

Bobby Dubeau (left) and friend enjoy a game at BC Place (Photo: Bobby Dubeau)

Along the way, he has connected with fans of every CFL team while collecting witness statements and video evidence of his attendance until the final whistle of every game. He has become an expert in the gameday experience at all nine venues, settling the debate on where the best spot to watch a game truly is.

“The best game day experience is Saskatchewan. I would say Winnipeg, but they have that stupid ‘Make Some Noise’ announcement like 50 times during the game,” Dubeau chuckled. “Saskatchewan just seems more organic. The fans are great. I know some season ticket holders so I got to go for a meal at their house after and get the full Roughrider experience.”

While watching three-down football in any stadium is an enjoyable experience, there are a few that lag behind the rest. Previous visits to Percival Molson Stadium had already established it at the bottom of his league rankings, while weather delays on this visit made it more difficult than other games.

“It’s not even close, it’s Montreal. I know McMahon’s getting a lot of heat for having portables. There are portables in Ottawa, there are portables in Montreal, but McMahon at least has some seats with backs on them,” Dubeau said.

“I knew what I was going into but if it was my first time and I was stuck under those stands for three hours with the rains spilling over onto the concourse, I would have been a little more freaked out.”

The fan bases themselves cannot be ranked, as they were universally welcoming. As for stadium food, the Green and Gold Dog at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton was the tastiest meal, while the infamous Yard Dog at Winnipeg’s IG Field comes in as slightly overrated.

After two weeks on the road and narrowly avoiding a cancellation in Montreal, finally arriving home in Vancouver is a strange feeling.

“I think it’s more relief,” Dubeau admitted. “There were all kinds of hiccups that could have happened along the way.”

Following the conclusion of Sunday’s contest, Dubeau will submit all his documentation to Guinness. It could take up to 12 weeks for the company to officially certify his unique Canadian accomplishment, at which point he will receive his certificate and become a World Record holder.

In the minds of the CFL community, he’s already a hero.