Olympic Sock Puppet Mascots? Why not!

Shot with 5DMKII, 35mm f/1.4. Music cred: “St. Clinton St.” Wakey!Wakey!

From tear-jerking Gold medal victories to heartbreaking 3rd place near-misses, the Olympics is jam-packed with glittering stories that leap off the newspaper page. It’s a reporter’s dream to cover the glory and the grief of the Olympic games. But I’m not one of those reporters. I revel in finding those peculiar stories, the hidden gems if you will, that catch my eye and make me chuckle.

Yesterday I set off in search of a weird and wonderful story of Olympic pride. I wasn’t more than 100m from my place, when I heard rumours of a sock puppet mascot contest being held at the CBC. Surely enough, when I walked in the doors of the CBC, I came face-to-face with over 40 googly, glued-on eyes, pompom noses, and pipe-cleaner whiskers. Some were simple, some were practical, and others were beyond the scope of my imagination.

The winner of the CBC Vancouver Welcomes the World Mascot Contest, David Julian Abhijit Xinshi by Susi Bainard, a three-eyed moose/beaver aka “Moover” was quite laid-back about his victory. He remained both strong and silent, when asked about his new-found fame.

You can see the masterful collection of sock puppets at the CBC on the corner of Hamilton and West Georgia open from 9am-6pm everyday until February 28th. Also, make sure to check out the daily “meet and greets” held in CBC plaza where you hobnob with CBC personalities and Olympians and pick up a limited edition pin.