Good morning, fat bear fanatics! Here we are at the semifinals of Fat Bear Week and everybody’s fired up. Who’s with me??
Let’s recap last week’s matches: Regrettably, neither Beady sister (909 and 910) could land their paunches against 128 Grazer and 856. Despite being truly, deeply, unfathomably fat, each sow separately lost their spot on the line. They weren’t necessarily upsets though we (me and about 23,000 voters) were a little upset. Come on! 910 might not have a large following, but she is a generous bear and she is shaped like a post office. I thought she had a chance! She did not.
We’re down to the final four, and it’s any bear’s game. Note that Fat Bear Week thus far has been landslide wins for each victor; we’re now looking at a set of bears that dominate on and off the bracket. There’s so many pounds we could unpack here — including the very real life conflicts between these bears over the years at Brooks River. It’s like Real World: Katmai National Park, and these are not just main characters of the season; these are series regulars.
We started Fat Bear Week with a sow advantage (7 of the 12 bears were female), and we’re down to one: 128 Grazer. Grazer’s known for her strong defense, which is basically an offense. She fights the power, she’s a mom icon, and she eats like a champ. However, she’s also already taken home the title for two years running, and Fat Bear Week voters have been known to want to pass the trophy around.
Will they pass it to 32 Chunk the hunk, who has teetered close to the title but has never sealed the deal? Broken jaw 32 Chunk kept his head low this summer, quite literally, and it paid off. Not only did he adapt, he put on the fat. Will voters look past his (somewhat shady) past?
And 856, who long ruled the Katmai kingdom with a sharp fist, is finally getting some good press. Our tall boy started this season on a gaunt foot, and we think he knew that. Unpretentious, he’s been living a quieter life. Turns out, he doesn’t need to be boss bear to bulk up. Retirement looks good on 856. Are we ready to throw him a party?
But the guy to watch, in my opinion, is the fourth bear, Fat Bear Week rookie: 602 Flotato. He embodies the 2025 season better than anyone. It was a summer marked with a historically high salmon run. The water was so dense with fish, the color of the river changed. Everyone was rolling in it, literally. In this incredible season of abundance, we saw a cultural shift: the bears leaned into joy.
Dance parties, slow wrestling, gentle bitey-face — it was a spectacular display of pleasure and play. There were sticks to discover and mud to roll in and naps on naps on naps. It was a vibe, and 602 Flotato was a top influencer. 602 has always loved the water (his first nickname was Snorkel Bear). But this year he lavished deeply; it was a regular occurrence to see him lounging in his own spa. There’s a photo of him, on his back, with a dead salmon laying on his face like an eye pillow; it’s peak Flotato. His delight may not be the key to the championship, but it’s the key to something bigger and we’re here for it.
Weigh your choices carefully!
May the fattest bear win. Voting is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. AKST at fatbearweek.org!
