The Grizzly Attack Survivor Who Had Himself Beaten, Hit by a Truck, and Set Ablaze To Create ‘Bearproof’ Suit

Word of Hurtubise’s crazy endeavor spread, and in time he became a local celebrity. He often appeared on Canadian radio shows to discuss his “grizzly bear research” and also explain why he was so hellbent on squaring off with a grizzly bear — or, rather, one particular grizzly bear, whom Hurtubise referred to as ”The Old Man.” According to Hurtubise, he first encountered his four-legged archnemesis in 1984 while camping in the Canadian wilderness. Apparently Hurtubise and The Old Man got into a physical altercation and the latter walked away from the skirmish victorious. In his radio interviews, Hurtubise vowed that once his suit was fully bearproof he would track down The Old Man and confront the brute face-to-face.

In 1996, a documentary crew from the National Film Board of Canada produced Project Grizzly, a 72-minute documentary about Hurtubise and his quest to build a suit that could withstand The Old Man’s monstrous wrath. The filmmakers followed Hurtubise as he pursued his foe through the Canadian hinterlands wearing his signature red beret and buckskin jacket, wielding a Bowie knife. The release of the documentary catapulted Hurtubise to international fame. His on-camera antics were immortalized in an episode of The Simpsons and even received praise from legendary director Quentin Tarantino, who called the film “Fantastic!” Tragically, Hurtubise was killed in a car accident in 2018.

You can watch the full version of Project Grizzly for free on YouTube.

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