Hundreds of cowbells from small Utah town sent to Paris to cheer on Olympians

FAIRVIEW, Sanpete County — Cowbells have been ringing since it was announced Salt Lake City would host the Olympics again. Many of them featured in the 2024 Summer Games coverage in Paris, and those heard on the sidelines come from the “Bell Barn” in Sanpete County.

Cowbells.com sent the Utah delegation with 300 cowbells to Paris. They were seen and heard ringing during the IOC meeting when it was officially announced Salt Lake City would host the 2034 Winter Games.

EvaMae and Bob Cook were in Washington Square ringing their cowbells when the decision was announced. The cowbells came from their home in Fairview.

“I was there with my 12-year-old son in 1995 for the announcement for the 2002 Olympics, and so it was important for us to be there,” Cook said. “At that time, we didn’t know we’d be involved with the Olympics.”

Learning about cowbells

For the last 24 years, these cowbells have been their livelihood. The Cooks started working with Elisabeth Halvorson, the company’s founder in 2000. They decided to join her in sales for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

“People knew nothing about cowbells,” Cook said. “We had to educate them as I had to be educated.”

The Moen bells the company uses come from Norway, where cowbell ringing is tradition.

“You’re clapping with your gloves because it’s cold outside, and so the bell lets the athletes know that you’re cheering for them,” Cook said.

Their cowbells are made in Norway. The Cooks engrave them with custom designs in their home.

“They’re made of iron, but then are dipped in recycled bullet casings that are collected from the Norwegian royal military,” Cook said.

The Cooks said the cowbells come in different sizes, resulting in different sounds and pitches. The sound of the cowbell has since become synonymous with a Team USA victory.

A Paris Olympics swimming clip features cowbells that Cook and her husband worked on. In it, Australian swimmer Cate Campbell discusses the rivalry between the U.S. and Australia in the sport in an interview from 2023.

“When we’re right next to each other in the warm-up areas, the U.S. have this infernal cowbell they ring. And as someone leaves to go to the competition pool, they ring out, ‘USA, USA,’ and I have never wanted to punch someone more,” she said.

Swimmers ring the cowbells

Members of the U.S. Olympic swimming team are then scene ringing and banging the cowbells in response.

Cook said the athletes love the cowbell and want to hear it when they’re competing. She said orders have gone up since the clip aired.

“It’s another country and they may not like us to win or to cheer our athletes, but we’re good at that,” she said.

The Cooks said they’re ready and prepared to meet the demand for cowbells at the 2034 Olympics. There’s always room for more cowbell, especially when it’s in their own backyard.

“None of us are spring chickens anymore, but we’ve got a lot of energy,” Cook said.

They create and sell cowbells for other occasions too, including weddings, Iron Man competitions and Utah’s new hockey team.