VANOC design director Leo Obstbaum dies at age 40
VANOC's design director Leo Obstbaum, the creative spark behind the 2010 Olympics, including the mascots and medals, died at his Port Moody home. He was 40.
Obstbaum, who was born in Buenos Aires, grew up in Barcelona and moved to Vancouver after marrying a Canadian wife and falling in love with the city on his honeymoon, also leaves a young daughter. His death was unexpected and Vanoc didn't release the cause.
Obstbaum had a hand in designing the look of the Games and its torch as well as the medals and mascots, Quatchi, Sumi and Miga.
"Leo is everywhere you look, in every colour, every texture, in every little bit of Vancouver 2010," VANOC CEO John Furlong said in a tribute.
He called his contribution a "true enduring legacy of what went on here in Vancouver."
Obstbaum was hired in June 2006, after moving to Vancouver in 2005. Before that he ran his own design studio that specialized in fashion, music and film design.
In an interview posted on VANOC's website, Obstbaum called the creation of the Olympic mascots a "huge challenge, to convert an idea to a character that will be part of the Games' history."
He listed his other favourites and called Montreal's "minimalist" Amik the Beaver mascot in 1976 "the best representation of the beaver I've seen."
Leo Obstbaum, Vanoc's chief designer, dies suddenly
By Jeff Lee 08-21-2009 The Vancouver Sun
Inside the 2010 Olympics
Leo Obstbaum, the man largely credited with many of Vanoc's iconic designs, died suddenly Thursday night. Young,
vibrant, intelligent and gifted, Obstbaum had been behind the design of
the look of the games, the mascots and even the yet-to-be-unveiled
Olympic and Paralympic medals. His photo says it all; mischievous,
bright, a bit cocky and self-assured. Why would you not expect someone
like that to wear a motorcycle jacket in his office? 
On
a day when Vanoc staff should have been focussing on next week's
looming IOC Coordination Commission visit, many were left devastated by
Obstbaum's death.
For such a young man - he was just 40 - Obstbaum left a huge legacy. Vanoc CEO John Furlong, who was visibly shaken, sent out this note to staff earlier today:
"Leo
is everywhere you look, in every color, every texture, in every little
bit of Vancouver 2010. Leo led and influenced the design of some of the
most iconic pieces of the 2010 Winter Games. His spirit and daring
inspiration has touched absolutely everything and because of him
memories of the Games will live on for generations..a true enduring
legacy of what went on here in Vancouver."
Obstbaum also did multi-disciplinary art, some of which you can see on his own website here. But if you want a more telling look at Obstbaum's influence in the Olympic world, have a read of this interview he gave recently to Shift, an online magazine.
Vanoc said Obstbaum leaves a wife and young daughter.
2010 Olympic designer dies suddenly
CBC News
Leo Obstbaum, the designer behind Vancouvers 2010 Olympic medals, has died suddenly Thursday at the age of 40. (Ben Hulse/ VANOC 2009)Leo Obstbaum, the designer behind Vancouver's 2010 Olympic medals, has died suddenly at age 40.
Obstbaum, the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee's director of design, died at his home on Thursday night, officials revealed on the weekend.
The cause of death has yet to be released.
Obstbaum led the team that created the yet-to-be unveiled medals for the Vancouver Winter Games. He also led the team that chose the design of the Olympic torches and mascots.
"Leo's passing is a deep loss to the VANOC team and the entire organization's thoughts and prayers are with the Obstbaum family," Renee Smith-Valade, a spokeswoman for the organizing committee, known as VANOC, said in an email statement.
VANOC CEO John Furlong said Obstbaum's death is a major loss to the organization.
"Leo is everywhere you look, in every colour, every texture, in every little bit of Vancouver 2010. Leo led and influenced the design of some of the most iconic pieces of the 2010 Winter Games," Furlong said in an internal message to his staff.
"His spirit and daring inspiration has touched absolutely everything and because of him, memories of the Games will live on for generations. A true enduring legacy of what went on here in Vancouver."
Obstbaum was born in Buenos Aires in 1969 and later moved to Spain, where he opened his first visual design company.
In 2005, Obstbaum moved to Vancouver. He joined VANOC as director of design a year later.
Obstbaum previously designed the clothes for the 10-year anniversary of the Barcelona Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games.
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