Today we have a total of four matches—eight bears!—to weigh. New this year is the introduction of family groups. Female bears who are well-fed going into hibernation are more likely to have the nutrients needed to birth and care for cubs in the den.
Na Mee
Na Mee is a PEN America fellow and three-time Rasmuson Foundation awardee who lives in Juneau. She is writing about Fat Bear Week for KTOO and previously wrote under the name Christy NaMee Eriksen.
Fat Bear Week returns for fall 2026
Similar to March Madness, Fat Bear Week is a bracket-style, single elimination tournament. This annual competition from Katmai National Park is a celebration of a summer’s worth of hard work, a hat tip to a healthy ecosystem, and a collection of survival stories.
Fat Bear Week crowns its 2025 winner: 32 Chunk the Champ
First-time winner 32 Chunk defeated enormous elder 856 in the finals on Tuesday, ousting two-time title holder 128 Grazer.
Fat Bear Week finalists bring their soft sides to the finish line
Amid a bracket of broad babes and lover boars it’s come down to the two bad boy antiheroes.
Fat Bear Week final four: a queen and the three boars
It’s the semifinals of Fat Bear Week 2025, and everyone’s eager to know who will be crowned the chubbiest.
Fat Bear Week halftime: Grazer defends her title and 910 has a hot grrl summer
Hold on to your hats, adoring fans of flabulous, because defending Fat Bear Queen 128 Grazer competes today.