'It's a pretty weird thing to do,' says man vying for CFL stadium visit world record

As It Happens6:00B.C. man attempts to visit every CFL stadium at world record speed

Of the more than 40,000 achievements in the Guinness World Record database, some are obvious — tallest woman, fastest marathon or most pull-ups. Others, like the one Bobby Dubeau says he's accomplished, are less so. 

While he's still awaiting the official certification, Dubeau says he's become the fastest person to catch a game at every Canadian Football League stadium. The Delta, B.C., man says he saw a game at all nine home fields in 15 days. 

"It's a pretty weird thing to do," Dubeau told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. 

"I thought it'd be pretty neat to see every stadium," he said. "Once I thought I could do it pretty quickly, I thought, 'Hey, might as well shoot my shot, try to get in the Guinness book.'" 

Record not official — yet

According to a spokesperson for Guinness World Records North America, Inc., the official title of the record Dubeau is vying for is "fastest time to visit all CFL stadiums."

The spokesperson said it's a record no one owns and an "application for this title has been submitted." All they need is the evidence to prove it's been successfully done. The spokesperson for Guinness did not confirm whether Dubeau was the one to submit the application.

According to Dubeau, he's got it on lock. 

"There's no reason they can say no," he said.

That's because he's got hours of videographic evidence and about 20 souls who have testified he was at the scene of each game from coast to coast, from kickoff to final whistle.

Dubeau says he couldn't have done it without those witnesses, all of whom were strangers.

"At some stadiums, where the team's getting blown out or hey, it's been raining for two hours and you just want to go home, it's almost midnight, these people were willing to stick it out with me till the very end."

Now he says all that's left for him to do is upload the evidence. 

Once that happens, it's time to wait. According to Guinness, it takes about 12 to 15 weeks for a record to be reviewed after it was submitted. 

Embracing Canadian football for what it is

Like any quest, Dubeau faced hardship and found support along a journey he initially kept secret. 

"I just didn't want anybody else to do it."

And though it might seem improbable, in the Winnipeg airport he met someone who wasn't chasing a record but was on a similar path, seeing seven of the same games. 

That person played a crucial role in his success when they were both in Hamilton, Ont., to catch a Tiger-Cats game. The game was at 7:00 p.m. and Dubeau planned to be at BC Place to watch the Lions the next day at 4:00 p.m. But he had been misinformed about how far a commute Hamilton was from Toronto. 

"It's not just a 30-minute drive," he said. "On transit, it's even worse."

Luckily, his fellow fanatic had rented a car and drove him to and from the game, meaning he made it back to British Columbia for his ninth and final game on time.

Dubeau said he loved the CFL as a kid, when he began watching BC Lions games with his grandmother. But he says he eventually started watching more of its southern, internationally-known, Super Bowl-hosting counterpart instead and fell into the trap of comparing the two.

He says he's still a fan of the NFL but started watching the CFL again about five years ago and embraced it for what it is. 

"You shouldn't be comparing. It's kind of two different sports. There's just as much excitement in a CFL game as an NFL game," he said.

Going to CFL games, he said, is an experience in professional sports he doesn't think you can find somewhere like a hockey game.

"It's a major league, but it's not corporate," he said. "There's regular people in the stands next to you. They're there watching the games with you. They're drinking the same beer that you are, and everybody is just having a good time."