Project Grizzly
This 1996 feature-length documentary presents Troy James Hurtubise, an adventurer that willingly goes face to face with Canada’s grizzly bear— the deadliest land mammal in the country. It probably all began in 1984 when Troy was attacked by a grizzly he named ‘Old Man’ and he survived to tell the story. Ever since that attack, Troy has been on this beast’s trail.
It took him seven years to design and build what he called a grizzly-proof suit. The first suit was around 7’2’’, weighed 147 lbs and looked much like what an astronaut would wear. The investment was said to be close to $150,000 and included a lot of pain and a lot of sacrifice. Troy called it the Mark VI. On the inside, a mouthpiece kept Troy from biting his tongue or breaking teeth and airbags around the neck absorb the blow and keep the neck from snapping backwards dangerously.
Troy bravely tests the suit by engaging in a series of scary and sometimes hilarious stunts. One of his stunts includes getting hit by a 300 to 400 pound log that is elevated about 40 feet and swung towards him. This exercise allegedly simulates the swat of a grizzly. The log hits him directly on the chest causing him to fall flat on his back, but leaving him unharmed, although short of breath.
Directed by Peter Lynch, this film has become somewhat of a cult film in the United States because of its dedicated and passionate fan base. It is also rumored that it’s a favorite of director Quentin Tarantino. Watch this interesting documentary now.