A memorable Olympic mascot represents the history, the ideals and the culture of the host nation in an entertaining and informative way. Remember the mascots from the 2006 Winter Olympics in Tornio?

Probably not. They had no persona. They were pointless. Neve and Gliz were simply two people who had a snowball and an ice cube for a head. Yet somehow they were supposed to represent the “passion, enthusiasm, culture, elegance and love of the environment and of sport” according to the IOC. Riiiiight. A meatball on skis would have made more sense.

This year, the team behind creating the mascots for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver did a much better job of incorporating mythology from British Columbia into a fun story to create memorable characters.

Here’s a rundown of what they came up with…

Miga

The aboriginal people of the First Nations in the Pacific Northwest believed that orca whales that arrived on land would evolve into a Kermode bear, a rare white bear that is exclusive to British Columbia.

Miga the Sea Bear was created to breathe life into that legend. She is an amalgam of bear and whale — notice the bear feet and orca fin on her head — who lives with her family pod off the coast of Vancouver Island. Miga represents the action, adventure and energy of Olympic sports.

Quatchi

The legend of the Sasquatch still lives in the mysterious and unexplored forests of British Columbia. Although the Sasquatch is believed to be a frightening and hulking creature, Quatchi is actually gentle and shy.

Our favorite part of his story is that he wants to be a hockey goalie because of his massive size. Makes sense. We’re waiting for the day when a hockey team slaps some skates on a big fat guy and plants him in front of the net.

Sumi

According to folklore of the First Nations, the thunderbird was a supernatural creature that created thunder by flapping its wings. Sumi, named after the word for “animal spirit” in the Salish (Pacific Northwest) language, features the wings of a thunderbird and the legs of a black bear.

Sumi will be the main mascot for the Paralympic Games from his home in Whistler, a resort town two hours north of downtown Vancouver where the alpine, nordic and sliding events will take place.

Mukmuk

Mukmuk is a friendly marmot named after the Chinook word for “food” because he loves to eat. Here’s the interesting thing about this furball: he’s not officially a mascot. He’s considered an honorary mascot, which would make him the first sidekick in Olympic history.

Very little is known about Mukmuk, and supposedly he’ll only make rare, surprise appearances throughout the Games.

You can learn more about Miga, Quatchi and Sumi on the official Vancouver Olympics site.