Regina tour operator and superfan Dave Ash has died after a lengthy battle with cancer.

An online obituary and a message on the Dash Tours Facebook page said Ash, president of the company, died early Sunday at the Grace Hospice in Regina.

He was 61.

"Widely known both in Regina and around the world, he was devoted to Dash Tours and supporting the sports and teams he loved," the company's Facebook page said.

"From his days as Gainer the Gopher and the Edmonton Oilers superfan, to his more recent fame with the flag seen around the world at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, David was recognized everywhere."

Ash was a familiar face in Saskatchewan as well as a tireless Roughriders booster who played Gainer, the CFL team's mascot, for seven years.

Post-Gainer, he was often seen at games with an eye-catching getup, proclaiming his love for the team.

Aside from football, Ash played a small but high-profile role in Olympic hockey history as the person who supplied the flag that star forward Sidney Crosby and other members of the Canadian team carried aloft in Vancouver after winning gold in 2010.

"I just kept it in hiding until the gold medal game and brought it in and showed my pride," Ash told CBC News after the game.

"All of a sudden, the flag's around the world. So it was a thrill and an Olympic moment for me."

A memorial service will be held at Regina Funeral Home and Cemetery, 4001 East Victoria Ave., on Friday, March 4 at 2 p.m. CST.