Photo: Allison Larouche // Instagram
A ski race in Alberta, Canada, had to be canceled due to the surprise arrival of a celebrity bear. Video of the event shows skiers looking on as the massive animal ambles on to the slope.
As Rocky Mountain Outlook reports, the showdown took place at Lake Louise near Banff National Park. Skiers had gathered for the Santa Slalom. The event, hosted by the Lake Louise Ski Club, is the first of the season for the club, and an Alberta Winter Games qualifier. However, as seen in a video that attendee Allison Larouche posted to Instagram, the event had to be put on hold when a bear unexpectedly ambled on to the hill. “I think everyone just wanted to keep the kids safe. We had about 80 racers on the hill,” Larouche told RMO. “They had to close Juniper chair and ended up cancelling the race.”
The animal, a 500- to 600-pound grizzly bear, is technically named bear No. 136, but locals have nicknamed him “Split Lip,” on account of a recognizable scar on the animal’s face. He’s been spotted in Banff for at least 20 years, now, having established himself as a dominant force in the area. He’s also known for his rivalry with another local bear celebrity, “The Boss,” and Canmore-based wildlife photographer John E. Marriott captured the two going toe-to-toe in 2020.
“Bear activity can occasionally occur during winter, particularly for large adult males like grizzly bear 136, which often enter dens later than females,” Annie MacNeil, a Parks Canada public relations and communications officer for Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay field units, told Rocky Mountain Outlook.
Luckily, there were no run-ins with Split Lip, and he retreated back into the backcountry that evening.
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