Alaska’s annual Fat Bear Week concluded this year with the brown bear known as 89 “Backpack” crowned as the champion. The competition, held at Katmai National Park and Preserve, celebrates the bears’ seasonal weight gain as they bulk up to prepare for hibernation.

Backpack, a longtime favorite in the event’s community, earned his nickname from climbing on his mother’s back as a cub two decades ago. He garnered additional attention after a successful recovery from a leg injury in 2007. According to his official profile on the Fat Bear Week website, Backpack exhibits a “quiet strength” when competing for prime fishing spots rather than aggression. He secured victory over female contender 910, affectionately called “Dancing Queen” by some observers, in a bracket-style tournament featuring a record 16 adult bear competitors, excluding their accompanying cubs.

Fat Bear Week, organized by Explore.org in partnership with the National Park Service and the Katmai Conservancy, has taken place annually since 2014. The contest relies on fan votes but is not influenced by any campaigning by the bears themselves, who remain unaware of the competition. The National Park Service highlighted that the bears simply continue their natural behaviors of fishing, eating, and resting as they gain the crucial fat reserves needed for survival through the harsh Alaskan winter.

Park ranger Sarah Bruce emphasized that all the participating bears are well-prepared for hibernation regardless of the contest’s outcome. Both Backpack and 910 come from prominent lineages: Backpack’s mother, 435 “Holly,” was the winner in 2019, while 910’s mother, 409 “Beadnose,” claimed the title twice. These familial connections reflect the long-term monitoring efforts by park officials, who have documented generations of bears returning annually to the Brooks River area.

Interest in this year’s Fat Bear Week was notably high, with early voting overwhelming the system and prompting an extension of the first round. Bruce noted that the total vote count had already exceeded last year’s record of 1.7 million votes. The event’s growing popularity is evident not only in participation but also in wider cultural recognition, such as a Google bear animation created to mark the occasion.

While adult male brown bears can weigh between 600 and 900 pounds in mid-summer, they often surpass 1,000 pounds by late fall. Weight estimates for this year’s contestants ranged from approximately 1,055 to 1,274 pounds. However, the competition is not solely about size. Fans often develop connections to individual bears based on their stories and behaviors observed on live camera feeds throughout the season.

“The bears have no idea this is happening,” Bruce said. “They just want to get fat and survive winter.” The event remains a popular celebration of wildlife and natural cycles, drawing increasing public engagement with Katmai National Park’s iconic brown bears.