'He's left an incredible legacy': Well-known Sask. curling fan Hans Madsen dies after cancer battle
If you’ve ever been to a curling event, chances are you’ve seen Hans Madsen. 'Curling’s Bearded Fan' has died after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Madsen, a Yorkton resident, was a fixture at curling events across Canada, known for his colourful wigs and beards dyed to match. He was curling’s superfan.
"The curling community is hurting with the loss of Hans," Ashley Howard, executive director of CurlSask, said. "Everyone has a story, everyone has run into him at an event and he’s left an incredible legacy."
Madsen was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, but it didn’t slow him down.
Whether it was the Women’s World Championship in Swift Current, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Moose Jaw and many other events, small and big, in between, Madsen and his wife Judy could always be spotted in the stands, cheering for a different team each draw.
"Anything that could make a person smile, that’s what it’s all about," Madsen told CTV News in 2016.
Madsen was well-known amongst the curlers.
"One of the things I remember most about Hans is he was always at every event and he was always right by the boards watching the event and every time you went on the ice or off the ice, you always said hi to Hans and Judy," Kirk Muyres from Team Dunstone said.
Tributes have poured in from around the curling community, including TSN’s Vic Rauter.
"Curling has lost a wonderful friend and a lot of its colour," Rauter tweeted on Thursday.
Madsen’s impact wasn’t limited to the curling rink either as he was known for supporting teams throughout the Parkland region.
Whether it was the Yorkton Cardinals in the summer or the Melville Millionaires and Yorkton Terriers in the winter, Madsen was there.
Dylan Johnson, a Terriers alum, said he remembers Madsen travelling to watch the team play in the RBC Cup.
"He made the trek to Vernon and we started off bad, but even in the third game, he was still there cheering and we knew we had fans there, like Hans, and back home that really supported us, so we got the job done for them," Johnson said.
"It’s just going to be different not seeing a guy like that who goes full out to show his spirit towards the teams and events that are going on."
Madsen was 71 years old.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.