Thundersticks, sometimes known as bambams, are long, narrow plastic
balloons that are used as promotional noise makers. The noise is created when two thundersticks are struck together. They are most often used at sporting events.
Origin and popularity
Thundersticks, known as ''makdae pungseon'' () in South Korea, were created by BalloonStix Korea and first used in 1994 at an
LG Twins baseball game. They later gained popularity in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
when they were used by fans of the
Anaheim Angels during the
2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s 2002 season. The 98th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Anaheim Angels and the National Leag ...
. Today thundersticks are used by fans of many sports teams in order to show their support, serving a similar purpose as the
Homer Hanky
The Official Star Tribune Homer Hanky is a handkerchief-like rally towel printed for the Minnesota Twins. It was first introduced during the 1987 pennant race by the Minneapolis ''Star Tribune'' as a promotional item when the Twins won the Americ ...
associated with the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
and the
Terrible Towel
The Terrible Towel is a rally towel associated with the Pittsburgh Steelers, an American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Terrible Towel has spread in popularity; for example, fans take their Towel to famous sites while o ...
associated with the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
.
Thundersticks have appeared around the world at many sporting events. They are regularly seen in baseball games in
Taiwan, basketball games in the
Philippines, and
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
matches throughout Europe, but sometimes under different names such as "bangers".
[Daniel Engber. "Who Made That Inflatable Noisemaker?" '' The New York Times'', June 13, 2014]
See also
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Boomwhacker
A Boomwhacker is a percussion instrument in the plosive aerophone and idiophone family. They are lightweight, hollow, color-coded, plastic tubes, tuned to a musical pitch by length. They were first produced by Craig Ramsell through his company W ...
*
Handy horn
An air horn is a pneumatic device designed to create an extremely loud noise for signaling purposes. It usually consists of a source which produces compressed air, which passes into a horn through a reed or diaphragm. The stream of air cause ...
*
Homer Hanky
The Official Star Tribune Homer Hanky is a handkerchief-like rally towel printed for the Minnesota Twins. It was first introduced during the 1987 pennant race by the Minneapolis ''Star Tribune'' as a promotional item when the Twins won the Americ ...
*
Inflatable
An inflatable is an object that can be inflated with a gas, usually with air, but hydrogen, helium and nitrogen are also used. One of several advantages of an inflatable is that it can be stored in a small space when not inflated, since inflata ...
*
List of inflatable manufactured goods
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Terrible Towel
The Terrible Towel is a rally towel associated with the Pittsburgh Steelers, an American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Terrible Towel has spread in popularity; for example, fans take their Towel to famous sites while o ...
*
Vuvuzela
References
External links
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{{Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Anaheim Angels
Balloons (entertainment)
Inflatable manufactured goods
South Korean inventions
Sports paraphernalia