SEATTLE (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of notoriously loud
Seahawks fans are cranking up the noise, as they cheer, chant and go
berserk during a parade to celebrate the franchise’s first Super Bowl
victory.
The mood in downtown Seattle was electrifying, as the
parade featuring the Super Bowl champions got underway Wednesday near
the Space Needle.
Revelers packed the 2-mile route. They wore blue
and green wigs, waved flags, scarves and signs, and erupted into
spontaneous song and dance.
The Washington National Guard is
escorting many of the players in Humvees and other military vehicles
under blue skies and freezing temperatures. Others are riding in Ride
the Duck amphibious vehicles used to take tourists around the city.
Police
estimated about 700,000 people are attending the event — that’s more
than the city’s population — in perhaps the largest gathering in Seattle
history.
The parade is heading to CenturyLink Field, where a ceremony will mark the team’s first Lombardi Trophy
in 38 seasons.
The cheers are likely to get more boisterous as fans observe a "moment of loudness" at 12:12
p.m.
Dakota
Heaphy, 20, who called himself a lifelong Seahawks fan, drove all night
from Cheyenne, Wyo., — more than 1,400 miles and 18 1/2 hours. Heaphy,
who works as a forklift operator, said his boss, a Denver Broncos fan,
gave him and another co-worker time off to celebrate.
Shawn Cooper
and Marlana Studebaker of Covington staked out a spot near the route
start hours before the event started. They had supersized photo cutouts
of quarterback Russell Wilson and cornerback Richard Sherman, prompting
many to stop and take photos.
"This was a long-awaited win. It’s
well worth the wait," Cooper said. "They’re years ahead of their time
which makes me believe there’s another one coming."
Many fans had camped out overnight to reserve front-row seats along the route, braving freezing
temperatures.
Others perched on window sills and balconies, climbed atop trees and pillars, or sat on sturdier
shoulders to get a better view.
At
Westlake Plaza in the middle of the route, fans wore blue and green
wigs and team-colored tutus, thronged shoulder to shoulder and sang as
they waited.
They chanted "Seahawks, Seahawks," as a Pearl Jam song blared from the shopping center’s
speakers.
Chris
Hoops, a sales worker from Everett, leaned against a pillar with two of
his school-aged daughters looking awfully cold as they bundled in
sleeping bags at his feet.
The family left home at 7 a.m. to get a
good spot for the parade. The girls, 11-year-old Emily and 8-year-old
Bella, warmed up when they were asked whether they were sorry about
missing school. They shouted "No" in unison.
Bubba Lezard, 28,
from Enumclaw, said his tribe, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, gave
everyone the day off in honor of the Super Bowl champions. He, his wife
and 6-month old baby drove 1.5 hours into Seattle for what he called a
"once in a lifetime" experience.
Boeing’s 747-8 airplane painted
in Seahawks colors is expected to fly over the stadium during the
celebration at CenturyLink Field.
___
AP reporters Donna Gordon Blankinship and Gene Johnson contributed to this report.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.