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Every November, Wayne Skorodenski settles into a rented pickup truck and sets off on a pilgrimage from his home in Winnipeg.

Some years he points east, others west, but he always joins a small but fervent caravan of supporters whose loyalty to a team is surpassed only by their devotion to beer, buddies and the zenith of Canadian football: the Grey Cup.

On Sunday, millions of Canadians will reach for the nachos and tune in to the kickoff between the Montreal Alouettes and the Calgary Stampeders at Montreal's Olympic Stadium.

But unlike their couch-surfing brethren, superfans such as Mr. Skorodenski go mobile.

They test their wives' patience, scour the Internet for cheap flights, and sometimes - Mr. Skorodenski did this last year - take out loans to reach the four-day bash.

"It's like a big family reunion and a costume party and Mardi Gras all wrapped up in one," says Rob Metcalfe, a 46-year-old fishing charter operator from British Columbia's Sunshine Coast who has attended 26 Grey Cups in 29 years.

They do it year after year, even when their beloved team has been eliminated and someone else's hero is vying for the cup. You may spot them in the stands this weekend: the Eskimo fans with green and yellow faces, Hamilton residents in their Ticat jerseys, and Rider fans with watermelons on their heads.

"I'll still be yelling, "Go Bluuue!" from the top of my lungs come kickoff," says Mr. Skorodenski, an ardent Blue Bombers fan.

It's a phenomenon, fans say, that could never happen in the United States, where ultra-expensive Super Bowl tickets, which will sell for $1,000 (U.S.) at face value this February, are too often snapped up by corporate account holders. At the Grey Cup, $274 gets you one of the best seats in the house.

In Canadian cities such as Hamilton and Regina, the Canadian Football League is the biggest pro show in town. Fans bond through ice, wind and snow - and an appreciation for players who receive paycheques worth a fraction of what their NFL counterparts are making.

The Grey Cup is a chance to reconnect with like-minded enthusiasts from across the country, often the same people year after year.

"It's like, hey! There's the long-haired guy in the Calgary sweatshirt," says Derek Russell, 29, who is attending his fifth Grey Cup this weekend.

The party kicks into gear on Thursday, with the Edmonton Eskimos' popular "Spirit of Edmonton" bash. From there, fans follow the circuit of pancake breakfasts and parties hosted by professional teams and attended by cheerleaders and former CFL players.

Baileys and coffee kick off days that end whenever someone stumbles into bed. Hijinks often ensue.

"We were in the girls' toilet one night having a party," says B.C. Lions fan and native Australian Andrew Harrison, who's famous for his outback hat and moniker, Myk Aussie. "If you're in Australia you'd get locked up for something like that."

Mr. Metcalf and about 20 friends dress up like the Blues Brothers band, in their trademark dark suits and sunglasses. Going by the name "Booze Brothers," they've been kicked out of parades, asked to sing on stages, and have talked their way into the winning team's celebration dinner.

In 1985, they found themselves on the same flight home as the champion B.C. Lions, and drank from the Grey Cup. "There's not a lot of sleeping involved," Mr. Metcalf says.

Other fan groups have reputations too - mostly for their team spirit and ability to party. "Saskatchewan fans are the best," he says. "We all have to try and keep up with them. Of course, there's nothing else to do in Saskatchewan."

On the other end of the spectrum are the Toronto fans, he jokes.

"There aren't any, so we don't have to worry about them."

Ted Soutar, who runs Soudog's CFL History Fan Site, says the Grey Cup's party reputation probably dates back to 1948, when thousands of Calgary Stampeder fans invaded the host city, Toronto. Someone rode a horse through the lobby of the Royal York hotel, he said, and Calgary's Mayor flipped pancakes on the steps of City Hall.

"Toronto had never seen anything like it," Mr. Soutar said. "Overnight it turned from a staid, old, quaint little championship into the national hoopla that we know today."

Since 2000, the league has seen increased television viewership and gate sales, and the greatest increase has been among younger fans between the ages of 18 to 34. Among them are Mr. Skorodenski, 26, who on his third consecutive Grey Cup and is a relative rookie.

He witnessed his first Grey Cup game when Winnipeg hosted in 2006. The next year, he and his brother made the last-minute decision to drive to Toronto, only to see the Blue Bombers lose against their "most hated rivals" - Saskatchewan.

"We left the city of Toronto immediately," he wrote in an e-mail. "We were bummed."

Even so, he was hooked on the Grey Cup experience. Although the Blue Bombers were eliminated in the semifinals this year, Mr. Skorodenski decided to drive 2,320 kilometres to Montreal anyway.

"What am I looking forward to most? Being 5th row section 122 when 60,000 people are screaming at kickoff," he wrote. "The home team playing for the cup? It's going to be a party."

Editor's note: The version of this story that appeared in today's Globe and that appeared earlier today online incorrectly stated that the Grey Cup would be played at Montreal's Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. In fact, it will occur at Montreal's Olympic Stadium. The online version of this article has been corrected.