The problem of generating torch paths for 2D laser cutting of a stock plate nested with a set of free-formed parts is investigated. The objective is to minimize the total length of the torch path starting from a blown depot, then visiting all the given Parts, and retuning back to the depot. A torch Path consists of the depot and Piercing Points each of which is to be specified for cutting a part. The torch path optimization problem is shown to be formulated as an extended version of the standard travelling salesman problem To solve the problem, a hybrid genetic algorithm is proposed. In order to improve the speed of evolution convergence, the algorithm employs a genetic algorithm for global search and a combination of an optimization technique and a genetic algorithm for local optimization. Traditional genetic operators developed for continuous optimization problems are used to effectively deal with the continuous nature of piercing point positions. Computational results are provided to illustrate the validity of the proposed algorithm