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FAIRVIEW, Sanpete County — Cowbells have been ringing since it was announced Salt Lake City would host the 2034 Olympics. Many of them have been included in the Summer Games coverage in Paris, and they come from the "Bell Barn" in central Utah.
Cowbells.com sent 300 cowbells with the the Utah delegation to Paris. They were seen and heard ringing when it was officially announced Salt Lake City would host the 2034 Winter Games.
EvaMae and Bob Cook were at Washington Square, in Salt Lake City, ringing their cowbells when the decision was announced. The bells are 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.
"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.
The Moen bells come from Norway, where ringing cowbells is tradition. 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 contributed. Australian swimmer Cate Campbell discussed 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 seen ringing and banging the cowbells, in response.
Cook said the athletes love the bell 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 demand for cowbells for 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.
