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High up in the Fernie wilderness inside the depths of a grizzly bear cave, the Griz was born. Shaped by the harsh environment, he quickly grew to be a towering figure. Accounts from unconfirmed sources tell stories of the Griz and his mystical musket with the power to shoot snow and fill the valley below with legendary champagne powder.
To this day Fernie locals praise the Griz and his gift of snow by throwing the Griz Days Festival.
The Extreme Griz is a whole-day event taking place on Saturday of the Griz Days Festival weekend. The event pits competitor against competitor in a number of challenges testing strength, agility, and appetite, for the privilege to be crowned the Extreme Griz champion. The first event begins at 10am, and ends with all participants joining the Griz Days Parade at 6:30pm. Each event is walkable and Extreme Griz hosts guide the group through each stage of the day.
It takes more than possessing a carpet of facial & body hair, and a mountain of muscle to be the Griz. Here we'll break down what skills one has to posses to become the Extreme Griz champion.
1 - Appetite of a Panda!
It's going to be an intense day, which means stockpiling calories for the trials ahead. There's no denser form of carbohydrate than pancakes and syrup according to the Griz himself.
A true Griz champion doesn't just eat pancakes exhibiting flawless table etiquette, instead devouring the stack in a true animal fashion as the seconds fly by. The fastest to clear their plate wins the round.
2 - Agility of a Cheetah!
The fact that the Griz has survived solo in the wintery Fernie wilderness is not down to sheer luck. The Griz is nimble, agile, and probably could have been an Olympic pentathelete had he not been held back by his daily diet of pancakes and syrup!
The second round sees potential champions race head-to-head tackling a snowy obstacle course to be first over the line.
3 - The killer instinct of a Wolf
As an apex predator, the Griz must always be on alert should an unexpected rival try topple the hierarchy. Obviously, nobody (at least, nobody alive) is that silly to stand in his way, so the Griz instead spends his days refining his skills by bullseyeing beverage cans from afar with his axe.
4 - Strength of a Grizzly Bear
At heart, the Griz is a soft, kind, and cuddly old fella. Yet, much like a grizzly bear he could proabably pick you up and throw you around with ease. The next challenge tests competitors' strength with a keg toss.
4 - The forearms of a Gorilla
Fuel prices never worry the Griz, he cuts his own woodpiles. With an axe? Don't be silly - too easy. He makes a bow saw glide through logs like a hot knife through butter and so must you, if you deem yourself worthy of the Extreme Griz Crown.
Competitors convene at Station Square for one final challenge before the Extreme Griz Competition is crowned in a public spectacle. The event concludes with the new champions and all competitors joining the community floats as they make their way through downtown as part of the of Griz Days Parade.
Registation for the Extreme Griz 2023 is now open (as of February 1st 2023), and you can register online. Spectators are always welcome to cheer on the comptetitors and can follow the action via the event schedule.
-The spirit of Griz Days is about having fun - this event is 100% about entertainment, comradery, and friendly contest. Competitor-banter and crowd engaging showmanship is encouraged throughout the event.
- Pancakes are of course supplied, but if you have dietary requirements you may provide your own as long as they meet Official Extreme Griz Pancake (trademark pending) dimensions.
