the stanley cup makes a visit

When I drove down to Station No. 31 in downtown Fruita, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Avs fans from across the valley lined up outside on Tuesday December twelfth to catch a glimpse of the legendary Stanley Cup. Scheduled to arrive at 2 o’clock, the cup didn’t show until around 4:30 due to snow delays. Anxious fans waited outside. The line went down the block, but luckily I was able to snatch a spot up front. The excitement I felt I can’t even begin to explain, and the adrenaline and anticipation was very unexpected. I had never watched a hockey game in my life, let alone even know who the Colorado Avalanche were. So what was I doing here? When I was assigned this news story I didn’t know what to think. Standing in line with a bunch of people for hours just to see a trophy? That’s what I thought at first, but that soon changed. Instead I thought of it as a communal event, bringing people together. I stood next to some kind and humorous Avs fans who happily explained the game to me and officially called me a “fellow fan” after we stood in line next to each other for an hour. Finally, the Cup came into view. Silver, huge, shiny, and big were the words that instantly popped in my head. Fans were taking photos with it, smiling with it, and even kissing it. It was the “holy grail” of hockey, and an experience for all NHL fans to see. “This is a pretty neat and once in a lifetime experience,” says Joshua Dewitt, a Palisade parent of Sophia and Lina Dewitt. “I don’t think a lot of people even realize the history and tradition behind it, so to be able to actually come out and see it is awesome.” I took some photos and finally began to understand the obsession with the Cup. As I drove away, the line had since grown even longer, now wrapping around the station and continuing through the block. I didn’t blame them, because if a national trophy was visiting my small town I would wait in thirty degree temperature in the dark too.