‘Five-0’ premiere thrills thousands

In a massive display of fan worship that left even the stars of “Hawaii Five-0” wideeyed, a crowd of 10,000 people packed Waikiki Beach on Saturday night for a special Sunset on the Beach premiere of the CBS show’s second season.

The event included a redcarpet arrival of the cast, which prompted many fans to stake out spots in the sand hours ahead of the screening. One group of women — fans of the show’s star, Alex O’Loughlin — arrived at 3 a.m. After they tweeted photos of it to the show’s executive producer, Peter Lenkov, he sent them coco puffs from Liliha Bakery.

This was the second year that CBS unveiled “Five-0” in Hawaii, but whereas last year there was a heavy curiosity factor for those who remembered the original show, this year drew heavily on the show’s current popularity. The police estimated the crowd was twice as large as the one that saw the series reboot in 2010.

“We’re completely humbled and blown away,” Lenkov said.

Being a premiere, it was glamorous — but it was also the beach, after all. While many in the audience wore designer dresses and heels, others simply wore surf trunks or bikinis.

“I am thrilled to be here and what a turnout,” O’Loughlin said. “They are a great crowd. Some aren’t wearing much, but that’s Hawaii, so it’s good.”

He said he was proud of the premiere episode, calling it fast and hard-hitting drama.

“There are five minutes of it where there is no dialogue and just action,” he said. “There’s some really unconventional, dynamic television.”

The rest of the nation won’t see the premiere until Sept. 19.

“Five-0” newcomer Lauren German, whose character, Lori Weston, won’t be seen until the season’s second episode, said the beach premiere was unlike any premiere she had attended.

“This is so much cooler,” she said. “I can’t believe how many people are here. It’s unbelievable, this support. That hometown spirit. They are so proud.”

Devin Rodrigues of Niu Valley waited at the entrance to the red carpet near Kalakaua Avenue, not realizing at first he had a prime viewing spot for the stars’ arrival.

“I’ve seen them before because they filmed in my neighborhood,” he said. “A couple of the set guys let me sit down and watch for three hours.”

Jenny Rosa, a 63-year-old retired surf instructor from Kaimuki, grabbed her spot on the beach at 6 a.m. and had a perfect view of the large screen. She was late.

“There were 30 crazy people ahead of me,” she said.

Nearby was Patty Glovick, a 53-year-old fan from Grand Rapids, Mich., who traveled by herself because she couldn’t persuade her husband to skip the Michigan football game Saturday against Notre Dame.

“I’ve always loved Hawaii and I was a fan of the original show,” Glovick said. “When this show came out, it became the only show I watched. I can’t believe I’m here.”