Fat Bear Bracket Studio
Simulate single-elimination matchups, adjust Brooks River salmon-run conditions, scout brown bear feeding tactics, and crown your ultimate champion.
Championship Bracket
Round of 16 In ProgressThe Science of Ursine Corpulence
In Katmai National Park, Alaska, brown bears enter hyperphagia every summer, consuming tens of thousands of calories per day to survive months of winter denning without food or water.
Hyperphagia & Caloric Density
During peak late-summer runs, an adult brown bear can catch and consume up to 40 sockeye salmon per day, prioritizing fat-dense skin and roe to pack on up to 4 pounds of mass daily.
The Brooks Falls Hierarchy
Dominance at Brooks Falls determines prime fishing real estate. The most dominant bears claim "The Jacuzzi"—the deep plunge pool below the falls where disoriented salmon pool up.
Democratic Bracket Voting
The annual single-elimination tournament pits competitors head-to-head based on before-and-after photographic transformation, resilience, motherhood challenges, and sheer rotundity.