Powder, Copper and Coal
Encyclopedia
Powder, Copper and Coal are the official mascots of the 2002 Winter Olympics
, which were held in Salt Lake City during February 2002.
(IOC) approved the mascots in December 1998. The Salt Lake Organizing Committee
(SLOC) worked with Landor Associates
of San Francisco, California and Publicis
to design and market the mascots. The original illustrator of the mascots was Steve Small, known for his work in Rugrats
and Disney's Hercules
.
in downtown Salt Lake City
. This celebration was hosted by Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi
and also celebrated 1,000 remaining days until the start of the 2002 games. The mascots were unveiled during the ceremony as actor and American Indian, Billy Daydodge, narrated the mascots' stories (which are based on legends from American Indian traditions).
On September 25, 1999 the names of the mascots were announced during a BYU Football game, in Provo, Utah
(prior to this only the type of animals and their legends were known). Utah
schoolchildren had originally suggested names for the mascots, and the top picks were then publicly voted on; a first in Olympic History.
or Fremont
-style petroglyph
to remind them of their heritage.
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
, which were held in Salt Lake City during February 2002.
Design history
The design process for the mascots began in September 1997, and after prototypes were created, the International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) approved the mascots in December 1998. The Salt Lake Organizing Committee
Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games of 2002
The Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of 2002 was the organization responsible for the 2002 Winter Olympics and 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City, USA....
(SLOC) worked with Landor Associates
Landor Associates
Landor Associates is a San Francisco-based brand and creative design consultancy. Founded by Walter Landor and his wife Josephine in 1941, Landor pioneered many of the research, design and consulting methodologies that are now standard in the branding industry.-Operations:Landor offers brand...
of San Francisco, California and Publicis
Publicis
Publicis Groupe is a French multinational advertising and communications company, headquartered in Paris, France. It is one of the world's three largest advertising holding companies . Its current president is Maurice Lévy. Publicis Groupe S.A...
to design and market the mascots. The original illustrator of the mascots was Steve Small, known for his work in Rugrats
Rugrats
Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series premiered on August 11, 1991, and aired its last episode on June 8, 2004....
and Disney's Hercules
Hercules (1997 film)
Hercules is a 1997 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fifth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker...
.
Unveiling
All three mascots were publicly unveiled during a celebration on May 15, 1999 at the Triad CenterTriad Center
The Triad Center is a complex of office buildings in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Originally planned to be a large development, containing several offices and residential buildings , the project was canceled after only two phases were completed...
in downtown Salt Lake City
Downtown Salt Lake City
Downtown is the oldest district in Salt Lake City. The grid from which the entire city is laid out originates at Temple Square, the location of the Salt Lake Temple.-Location:...
. This celebration was hosted by Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi
Kristi Yamaguchi
Kristine Tsuya "Kristi" Yamaguchi-Hedican is an American figure skater. She is the 1992 Olympic Champion in ladies' singles. Yamaguchi also won two World Figure Skating Championships in 1991 and 1992 and a U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1992. She won one junior world title in 1988 and two...
and also celebrated 1,000 remaining days until the start of the 2002 games. The mascots were unveiled during the ceremony as actor and American Indian, Billy Daydodge, narrated the mascots' stories (which are based on legends from American Indian traditions).
On September 25, 1999 the names of the mascots were announced during a BYU Football game, in Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
(prior to this only the type of animals and their legends were known). Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
schoolchildren had originally suggested names for the mascots, and the top picks were then publicly voted on; a first in Olympic History.
Meaning and Legends
The mascots are indigenous animals of Utah, and are named after natural resources which have long been important to Utah's economy, survival, and culture. All three animals are major characters in the legends of local American Indians, and each mascot wears a charm around its neck with an original AnasaziAncient Pueblo Peoples
Ancient Pueblo People or Ancestral Pueblo peoples were an ancient Native American culture centered on the present-day Four Corners area of the United States, comprising southern Utah, northern Arizona, northwest New Mexico, and southern Colorado...
or Fremont
Fremont culture
The Fremont culture or Fremont people is a pre-Columbian archaeological culture which received its name from the Fremont River in the U.S. state of Utah where the first Fremont sites were discovered. The Fremont River itself is named for John Charles Frémont, an American explorer. It inhabited...
-style petroglyph
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
to remind them of their heritage.
- Powder - A Snowshoe HareSnowshoe HareThe Snowshoe Hare , also called the Varying Hare, or Snowshoe Rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet and the marks its tail leaves. The animal's feet prevent it from sinking into the snow when it hops and walks...
, represents the Native American legend when the sun was too close to the earth and was burning it. The hare ran to the top of a mountain, and shot her arrow into the sun. This caused it to drop lower in the sky, cooling the earth. Powder is the only female of the trio, and represents Faster/Swifter from the Olympic motto.
- Copper - A CoyoteCoyoteThe coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, represents the Native American legend when the earth froze and turned dark, the coyote climbed to the highest mountaintop and stole a flame from the fire people. He returned and brought warmth and light to the people. Copper represents Higher from the Olympic motto.
- Coal - An American black bearAmerican black bearThe American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, represents the Native American legend of a group of hunters who were never able to kill a mighty bear. Today the sons of these hunters still chase the bear across the night sky, as constellationConstellationIn modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
s. Coal represents Stronger from the Olympic motto.