Foam hand

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Photo of a red foam glove on the arm of a baseball fan at the stadium
Foam hand with the logo of the Cleveland Indians and the name of the player Grady Sizemore

A Foam Hand ( German  foam hand ), also Foam Finger called, is a top made of foam or similar materials in the form of a hand with a raised index finger. It is worn on the hand or arm and, like banners or fan jerseys , serves to express the bond with a sports team or a candidate for a political candidate. Foam hands are primarily used in the United States , where they are worn in sports stadiums and at election campaign events.

history

The Foam Hand was invented in 1978 by Geral Fauss, a US high school teacher. Fauss, who taught handicrafts at Cypress Fairbanks ISD, built the first foam hand from pressboard to cheer the high school football team on in the finals of the Texas state finals. Fauss chose the shape based on students who shouted “We're number one!” With outstretched arms and forefingers during football games to cheer on their team. This first hand had a sawed-out handle on the “wrist” by which it could be held and swiveled. It was also marked with "# 1" in the colors of the high school.

The hand quickly became a success after Fauss first sold it at the 1978 Cotton Bowl Finals . These early sales successes meant that he was able to quit his job as a high school teacher and make a living making the pressboard hands. For this purpose he founded his own company, Spirit Hands Co. (later in Spirit Industries ) and moved into a disused sheet metal factory that belonged to his father.

Fauss experimented with different materials and shapes in order to remedy the shortcomings of the first prototype: The pressboard was heavy and the handle could not be swiveled for a full playing time. In addition, injuries occurred when the hard particle board hit bystanders. Attempts to replace the pressboard with cardboard failed because of the fragility of this material, and styrofoam also proved to be too brittle. In 1979 the first hand in today's foam shape was finally created: It was dimensionally stable, soft enough not to injure anyone, and weighed so little that it could be held throughout the game. The original handle was replaced by an opening in the foam that you could put your hand into. The foam could also be easily printed on, which opened up a wide range of design options. Fauss sold these foam hands at the 1979 Sugar Bowl and was able to sell all of his stock. The broadcast of the game on television created an advertising effect, so that the foam hands spread further. They are now an integral part of the fan shop range .

to form

In addition to the classic shape with a raised index finger and the # 1 print, there are other variants in terms of shape and color. Spirit Industries offers hands in sizes from 40 to 55 cm. Common forms are hands with middle finger , outstretched thumb or Vulkaniergruß . Fancy designs deviate greatly from the original in that they show motifs that are only vaguely reminiscent of hands or represent something completely different.

Sources and References

Web links

Commons : Foam Hand  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Bellis 2010 .
  2. ↑ a b c d Butler 2008 .