They waited patiently through dedication speeches, cheered loudly for guest of honor and revered pro skater Rob Dyrdek, and hooted and hollered for the merchandise giveaways and raffle that provided several lucky attendees with new decks for their boards.
But really, what they wanted to do was skate.
That's what ultimately proved the key attraction at Saturday's official grand opening event for the Erie Community Skate Park, the world's first to be Street-League certified.
At 2 p.m., after speeches were delivered and contributors recognized, the podium was moved from the plaza, the disc jockey turned up the jams, and hundreds of skaters hit the concrete, grinding rails, nailing kickflips, and otherwise enjoying the
world-class park located at 450 Powers St.
"It has the biggest stuff and it's the most fun to skate," 16-year-old Justin Ho said, explaining why he made the trip from his Thornton home to attend Saturday's event.
He also added, however, it was also pretty cool to see Dyrdek, who in addition to his skating skills is well known as an MTV reality TV personality. Getting up close to Shane O'Neill and Tom Asta, two other pro skaters who participate in the Dyrdek-founded Street League Skateboarding series, was another drawing card.
Construction of the $1.2 million park began an August, and it officially opened to skaters in January. But the grand opening event gave the park the proper celebratory dedication it deserved, complete with ribbon cutting.
Officials estimated 2,000 people attended the event. Dyrdek, who drew loud cheers from the crowd each time his name was mentioned, in a short speech noted that the 16,800-square-foor plaza is an exact replica of the Street League competitive course.
He compared skating on it to playing on the same basketball court as Michael Jordan.
Dyrdek also said he was very happy to see the park opened in Erie, where he found willing partners in the parks and recreation department and on the Board of Trustees to help him fulfill a dream he has had since the beginning of his skateboarding career, two decades ago.
"This is a really big deal. I tried to do this with a lot of people and they shot it down. They said, 'We don't need that.' I said, 'Yes you do,' and the people here believed in that," Dyrdek said, pointing out the certified park could some day host official Street League competitions.
"This is going to be legendary. I hope you enjoy it for many years to come, and I hope we have a crowd like this at an event here soon."
Other speakers Saturday included Joe Ciaglia, the president and CEO of California Skateparks, the firm that designed the Erie Community Skate Park. When he experienced audio difficulties during his comments, Ciaglia joked, "I think we spent all the money on the skate park."
Town officials who spoke included Mayor Pro Tem Ronda Grassi, Parks and Recreation Director Jill Wait and Trustee Joe Carnival, who said he has seen skaters ages 5 to 40 at the park -- and has skated it himself.
Wait said that thanks to the mild weather this winter, the response to the park has already been outstanding. Pending the response to a grant application filed with Great Outdoors Colorado, the town hopes to build another $500,000 beginners area this summer.
For Justin Ho, Saturday's event was a family affair. He attended with brothers Jarrett, 14, and Blade, 9, mom, Gretchen, plus his dad, Richard, who took up skating himself a year and a half ago at age 49.
When asked what they like about the park, Jarrett quickly responded, ""Everything."
Naomi Allen, 25, of Longmont attended Saturday's event with her roommate who recently started teaching her the basics of skating. Following the grand opening ceremony, Allen stood along the south side of the park and watched the many enthusiastic skaters test out the highly-touted course. For her, that was best part.
"I think it's awesome," she said. "It's great for the kids."
Contact Camera Staff Writer Joe Rubino at 303-473-1328 or rubinoj@dailycamera.com.
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