Making The Vancouver Olympic Torch

The torch (with fuel) weighs about 3.5 pounds and contains stainless steel, aluminum and sheet-moulding compound.

The three foot torch, inspired by both the lines carved into the snow by skiers schushing down mountains and the undulating beauty of the snowy Canadian landscape, was designed by Bombardier’s aerospace and transportation design teams in collaboration with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).

The fuel, a mixture of propane and isobutane, allows the flame to burn at temperatures colder than any other torch in Olympic history, and burn for at least 12 minutes.

Bombardier has produced 12,000 torches, one for each carrier across Canada, with the final assembly being done by hand in Montreal, Quebec.