Powder, Copper and Coal were the official mascots of the 2002 Winter Olympics and Otto was the official mascot of the 2002 Winter Paralympics, both held in Salt Lake City, United States.
Design history
The design process for the mascots began in September 1997, and after prototypes were created, the International Olympic Committee (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. For the 2002 Winter Paralympic Games, SLOC subsequently requested Small, Landor and Publicis for the creation of a new mascot along the creative lines of Powder, Copper and Coal. They created "Otto", an otter that is to convey the agility and vitality of the athletes.
Unveiling
All three mascots were publicly unveiled during a celebration on May 15, 1999, at the Triad Center 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; the first in Olympic history.
Mascots
The mascots are indigenous animals of the Western U.S., and are named after natural resources (except for Otto) which have long been important to Utah's economy, survival, and culture. All four animals are major characters in the legends of local American Indians, and each mascot (except for Otto) wears a charm around its neck with an original Anasazi or Fremont-style petroglyph to remind them of their heritage.
Powder
Powder is a snowshoe hare who is an elegant, sleek competitor with a flare for fun in an exciteful way. She came from Fishlake National Forest. Quick and elusive, Powder can ski and skate circles around her competition. Her large, furry feet make her especially agile on snow and ice, while her lean, supple body is built for endurance and speed. She is surprisingly strong and eager to jump and spin while twirling her ears above her head. When Powder really flies, her long, sleek ears stream out like ribbons from behind her whiskers. Try as they may, the other mascots just can't catch their speedy little friend. Powder is joyful and delights in the spirit of competition. When she finishes second, she's the first to congratulate the champion, and when she watches her friends compete, her ears perk up and she thumps her feet to show her support. Powder is passionate about the music and ceremony of the Games. Regarding non-sporting stuff, she is an explorer. To show her support for a performance, she'll jump skyward, smiling in an expression of joy. If she sees people being unsupported, Powder will react with by drooping her ears and using her feet to kick snow. She represents "Faster" of the Olympic motto. She loves to do skiing and figure skating.
The sun was too close to the earth and was burning it. The hare (Powder's ancestor) 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. Because of this, she represents night, winter, the north of the four cardinal directions and the air element. Her symbol is a circle and a right arrow. Through diversity, she represents the White Americans. Her favorite color is purple. She tends to love ice cream especially those around the world. She is one of the three Olympic mascot, one of the four mascots of Salt Lake City 2002 and is also the only female of the four mascots of Salt Lake City 2002.
Her name comes from powder snow.