Every September, one of the internet's most beloved competitions returns to Alaska: Fat Bear Week, the National Park Service's bracket-style tournament that asks the public to vote for the bear best prepared for winter hibernation at Katmai National Park.
This year's event runs from September 22 to 29 at Brooks River, where some of the largest brown bears on Earth gather to feast on salmon in a pre-hibernation eating frenzy known as hyperphagia. The goal of the contest is more than laughs — the bears need to pack on serious fat reserves to survive months of glacial cold without eating. Voting is single elimination: two bears go head to head in each matchup, and the one with more public votes advances.
The event has grown wildly since it launched in 2014 with around 1,000 votes. Last year, 1.7 million votes came in from around the world. The 2026 bracket features 16 bears, including returning heavyweights and several first-time contenders.
Among the standouts: 32 Chunk, the defending champion, an enormous adult male tipping the scales around 1,200 pounds, easily recognisable by his protruding brow ridge and the scar across his muzzle. He also fishes with a broken jaw, which somehow hasn't slowed him down.
Newcomer 806 is a mother with three known litters who has been seen raising orphaned cubs alongside her own — and holding her own ground when challenged. Bear 694 is a smaller young bear who compensates for his size with social savvy, often playing with others while waiting for a spot at the falls. Bear 89, nicknamed Backpack after being spotted riding on his mother's back as a cub, avoids fights and quietly works his way into the best fishing spots. And 151 Walker, once a laid-back sub-adult, has grown into a bigger, more assertive competitor willing to test the river's established bears.
Why should a traveller care? Fat Bear Week is the best free wildlife show on the internet, but the real thing is even better. Brooks River is one of the few places on the planet where you can reliably watch dozens of huge brown bears fishing for salmon at close range, and the platform-viewing setup makes it accessible even for casual visitors. The same hyperphagia season that powers the voting — late summer into early autumn — is also prime time to see the bears at their most active and, frankly, their most impressive. Even if you can't make it to Katmai, the park service streams live bear cams on explore.org year-round, letting you pick a favourite before you ever fill out a bracket.
Whether you back the bruising favourite, the devoted mum or the scrappy underdog, casting a vote is a fun way to learn about brown bear behaviour — and maybe start planning an Alaska trip around the real thing.
Story via Outside Online.
