For the Barack Obama faithful, Ke'ehi Lagoon Beach Park was transformed yesterday into a presidential campaign event, a bit of celebrity watching and even a homecoming for a native son.

About 4,000 sweaty but happy supporters made their way through a throng of traffic, endured security sweeps and sat in the sun for hours — with the occasional cloudburst — to listen to Hawai'i-born Obama for just 16 minutes.

It was all to show their appreciation for the man once known to friends and family here as Barry.

Like others, Yvonne Ortiz, 55, said the opportunity to see Obama in person was worth the 5 1/2-hour wait.

"It was wonderful," she said. "It was a great experience."

Tony Agao, a 57-year-old technician for TheBus, wore a white Obama T-shirt and said, "Nobody ever thought a local boy would run for president."

They were among those cheering all of Obama's local references, like when he greeted them with "Howzit," and talked about ordering a Zippy's Zip Min or enjoying a plate lunch at Rainbow Drive-In.

U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawai'i, said Hawai'i has never seen an event like Obama's rally.

"Who's ever been nominated for president from Hawai'i before?" Abercrombie asked.

The diverse crowd at Ke'ehi Lagoon included quarter-lifers and baby boomers, die-hard, longtime fans of Obama and the newly converted.

Many sported Obama T-shirts and pins. A few clutched Obama's two books to their sides.

Even some tourists skipped the beach for a chance to see the presidential candidate.

Karen Newman, 50, of Hawai'i Kai was the first to arrive, at 4:40 a.m., when the park was pitch black.

"This is probably the single most historic event in my lifetime, not only for us as a country, but as a state," Newman said, shortly after the sun appeared. "This is extraordinarily historical."

People drifted in over the next few hours until a line of hundreds formed to get into a barricaded area around the stage where Obama eventually spoke.

The city Parks Department estimated the final crowd at just more than 4,000.

LIFTED CROWD'S SPIRITS

Obama's jet had been delayed by 45 minutes. And by the time he landed at Honolulu International Airport, people at Ke'ehi Lagoon Beach Park were sunburned, dehydrated and tired.

But when Obama finally took the stage at 3:15 p.m., his references to shave ice and plate lunches immediately got the crowd laughing and clapping.

"I loved how he said he was going to get a Zip Min from Zippy's," said Bernard Uy, who went to the rally with friends.

During Obama's remarks, people hooted and roared with applause. A few even jumped up and down with excitement.

And Daphne Desser, an English professor at the University of Hawai'i, was brought to tears.

"I was crying," Desser said, still dazed from the experience. "He actually had me crying."

Despite the crowds and the high security, the day ran smoothly.

Parking started getting tight around noon, when police closed the entrance to Ke'ehi Lagoon Beach Park after the parking lot of about 300 spaces filled up.

Drivers who couldn't get into the park then started grabbing spots wherever they could — at Honolulu Airport, at a nearby paid parking lot and at the end of Lagoon Drive. Others rode TheBus.

Michael Doyle and Sarah Johnson, both 20, parked at the end of Lagoon Drive, then hiked about 30 minutes to the rally.

"I just wanted to be a part of it," Doyle said.

It took nearly an hour for the line of people to make its way through security posts and into the barricaded portion of the grass field where Obama spoke.

The security included Transportation Security Administration employees, Secret Service agents and Honolulu police on the ground and in the air. About 30 members of the Operating Engineers Local No. 3 union provided crowd control, and five city buses were parked on the grass along one side of the barricade to prevent anyone from driving into the area.

Les Chang, city Parks and Recreation Department executive director, said his crews cleaned up the park Thursday night to prepare for the event.

Still, some complained about the state of the bathrooms, which had no doors and smelled by early afternoon.

Ortiz, of Honolulu, said things also got a little scary at the end of Obama's speech, when he joined the crowd to greet supporters.

She was standing near the stage and was pushed up against metal barricades by people clamoring to shake Obama's hand or get an autograph, she said.

And in all the confusion at the security checkpoint to get into the barricaded area, someone took Darryl Summers' keys by mistake, he said.

Summers wouldn't let it ruin his day, though. He and his friend, Rick Brady, said they still enjoyed Obama's speech.

"It wasn't a political speech, it was from the heart," said Brady, 57.

SOME WEREN'T PLEASED

Not everyone was so impressed.

Lani Teves, a 28-year-old 'Ewa Beach resident, questioned why Obama never said the word "Hawaiian" yesterday.

"The word 'Hawaiian' never came out of his mouth once," she said. "It kind of bummed me out."

Throughout the morning and afternoon, as crowds sat in line on beach chairs and under umbrellas, as they worked their way through security and while they were standing around waiting for Obama's arrival, most people were upbeat, chatty and certain that there was no better way to spend a day.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Tee Akins, 34, as she waited to go through security.

John Barker would not have been anywhere else yesterday.

"I'm a true-blue, local Democrat here to support the home team," Barker said.

Many were also surprised at Obama's last-minute decision to hold a public event.

When Aba and Ervin Nobles, of Huntsville, Ala., heard about the Obama rally, they immediately decided to give up little sightseeing around the island.

"We do need a change," Aba Nobles said. "I think he's going to do it."

Anosh Yaqoob, a UH-Manoa law student, arrived at Ke'ehi Lagoon at 8 a.m. and was all smiles even as he baked in the sun. He carried one of Obama's books to pass the time.

"I, too," Yaqoob said, "am a kid from Hawai'i with a funny name."