# Thundersticks

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For the Western Australia field hockey team, see [Smokefree WA Thundersticks](/source/Smokefree_WA_Thundersticks).

"Thunder stick" redirects here. For other uses, see [Bullroarer](/source/Bullroarer).

**Thundersticks**, sometimes known as **bambams**, are long, narrow plastic [balloons](/source/Balloon) 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* (Korean: 막대풍선, lit. 'stick balloons') in South Korea, were created by BalloonStix Korea and first used in 1994 at an [LG Twins](/source/LG_Twins) baseball game.[1][2][3] They later gained popularity in [North America](/source/North_America) when they were used by fans of the [Anaheim Angels](/source/Los_Angeles_Angels) during the [2002 World Series](/source/2002_World_Series). Today thundersticks are used by fans of many sports teams in order to show their support, serving a similar purpose as the [Homer Hanky](/source/Homer_Hanky) associated with the [Minnesota Twins](/source/Minnesota_Twins) and the [Terrible Towel](/source/Terrible_Towel) associated with the [Pittsburgh Steelers](/source/Pittsburgh_Steelers).

Thundersticks have appeared around the world at many sporting events. They are regularly seen in baseball games in [Taiwan](/source/Taiwan), basketball games in the [Philippines](/source/Philippines), and [football](/source/Association_football) matches throughout Europe, but sometimes under different names such as "bangers".[4]

## See also

- [Boomwhacker](/source/Boomwhacker)
- [Handy horn](/source/Handy_horn)
- [Homer Hanky](/source/Homer_Hanky)
- [Inflatable](/source/Inflatable)
- [List of inflatable manufactured goods](/source/List_of_inflatable_manufactured_goods)
- [Terrible Towel](/source/Terrible_Towel)
- [Vuvuzela](/source/Vuvuzela)

## References

1. ["막대풍선이란?"](http://www.balloonstix.com/sub/sub02_01.php). *벌룬스틱스 코리아 주식회사*. Retrieved 28 March 2017.

1. ["전태수 사장이 밝히는 막대풍선의 역사"](http://news.donga.com/3//20081027/8649242/1) (in Korean). *동아닷컴*. 27 October 2008. Retrieved 28 March 2017.

1. Mercer, Bobby (18 March 2011). [*ManVentions: From Cruise Control to Cordless Drills - Inventions Men Can't Live Without*](https://books.google.com/books?id=ehjrDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT87). Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781440510748. Retrieved 28 March 2017.

1. Engber, Daniel (2014-06-13). ["Who Made That Inflatable Noisemaker? (Published 2014)"](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/magazine/who-made-that-inflatable-noisemaker.html). *The New York Times*. Retrieved 2023-08-14.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Thundersticks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundersticks) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundersticks?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.