Mascots at the Winter Games

The XXI Winter Olympics and the Winter Paralympics were held in Vancouver, British Columbia from February 12 to February 28 and most of you would have been watching the various fascinating events that were part of the Games... Some of the events seemed really dangerous but the competitors performed them with such ease obviously due to the years of experience they have practicing them.

Amids the flags and pageantry, guests and fans of the winter sports as well as the visitors and athletes, were kept entertained by three cute creatures the popular mascots, Miga, Sumi, and Quatchi. Who are these creatures you may ask? As you know mascots are common in any sports event and the Winter Olympics too have their own special mascots. Since the 1968 Winter Olympics, the official games have had mascots.

The mascot generally represents an animal native to the hosting country or a well known cultural figure. The mascot serves as an

ambassador that conveys the spirit of the games and their home city, especially to young children. Remember some of the old mascots like Misha the brown bear from Moscow, Sam ,the bald eagle from the United States and Hodori the tiger from Korea?

When Canada hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, the mascot was Amik, a beaver. Amik represented the spirit of hard work. In 1988, for the Winter Olympics in Calgary, the world met Hidy and Howdy, polar bear siblings, whose names expressed feelings of brotherhood and welcome. Both are very important parts of the Olympic spirit.

Miga is an adorable sea bear who lives in the ocean with her family off the coast of British Vancouver. She loves snowboarding. According to First Nations' legends, a sea bear is part killer whale and part Kermode bear.

Killer Whales are the largest members of the dolphin family. The Kermode, also called spirit bears, are rare white bears that can only be found in British Columbia. Sumi is a mixture of the thunderbird, orca, and black bear and serves as the mascot of the Paralympics.

Sumi lives in the mountains of British Columbia. Sumi wears a hat of an orca, wings of the Thunderbird, and has furry legs like a black bear. He wishes to learn all the sports of the Games.According to First Nations' legends, Thunderbirds are powerful and intelligent creatures. Like Sumi, they are also powerful protectors of the land, waters and creatures of their homeland.

Their name comes from the sound that is heard when their wings beat. Their images are craved in the local totem of British Columbia.

Quatchi is a Sasquatch, the mysterious creature that roams the Canadian forests. Quatchi is shy, but eager to make new friends. Quatchi loves ice hockey and has a dream if being a great goalie.

The Sasquatch, sometimes called Yeti and Bigfoot, is a large hairy creature, that has inspired everything from comic book heroes to Hollywood movies. According to legend, Sasquatch are nocturnal creatures.

The three Vancouver Games' mascots represent the unique and beautiful history, regions and culture of British Columbia.