Kumi, the Prehistoric Penguin

Kumi is from New Zealand and made the journey to Calgary to train at the Olympic Oval. After trying a variety of traditional Kiwi sports—including rugby, football, and cricket—Kumi discovered speed skating and was instantly hooked. There was only one place to pursue that dream: The Fastest Ice in the World™.

Kumi's journey began in 2021, when the Olympic Oval partnered with Calgary's Street Characters to design, build, and bring to life a new mascot that embodies high performance, well-being, and active living—the cornerstones of the Oval's three-part mandate to serve the University of Calgary, high-performance athletes, and the greater Calgary community.

The Oval's marketing team spent weeks researching and exploring ideas before choosing the Kumimanu—an extinct genus of giant penguin that lived in what is now New Zealand approximately 60 to 56 million years ago.

The name Kumi, a shortened form of Kumimanu, was chosen not only for its connection to the mascot's prehistoric origins but also because it is a traditional, gender-neutral Japanese name meaning "a long period of time"—a fitting tribute to an ancient penguin with a remarkable story.

The Olympic Oval introduced Oil Can Ollie in 1989 as the building's official mascot, joining UCalgary's Dexter the Dinosaur. Oil Can Ollie was soon shortened to simply Ollie as the mascot's official name (just as Dexter later became Rex). Inspired by the excitement of the 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games, Ollie made the journey to Calgary and, like so many others, quickly knew it was home.

Over the years, Ollie underwent several makeovers while sharing a passion for speed skating, public skating, and the Olympic Oval with generations of visitors. Eventually, Ollie decided it was time to retire and pass the torch to a new penguin, welcoming Kumi to continue inspiring the community and sharing a love for the Olympic Oval.

As a high-performance and health-conscious mascot, Kumi will bring a brrr-illiant breath of fresh air to the Olympic Oval. Kumi knows skating is fun and great for your health — an activity for all ages and abilities.

Kumi will also make appearances at campus events, Dinos games, recreational public skating times, speedskating competitions and World Cups, and community events.

We want everyone to welcome Kumi to the Oval and the UCalgary community.