The Professional Bull Riders' first indoor rodeo in Hawai'i was "better than going (Las) Vegas," said Kublais Rabang, who flew in from the Big Island to attend the two-day event.

The Cheeseburger Island Style PBR Hawai'i All-Star Challenge attracted nearly 10,000 fans to Blaisdell Arena between Friday and Saturday nights.

The event featured 20 riders vying for $80,000 in prize money.

"It's been really fun and exciting," said PBR Chief Executive Officer Randy Bernard.

"When we planned this, I'll be honest with you, I didn't know if we'd have a hundred people or 6,000 people," he said. "The most important part is that the fans are having a great time."

Friday night's festivities kicked off with a 5-minute video about the sport, followed by a pyrotechnic show that accompanied the introduction of the riders. It was nearly 20 minutes of pageantry before the first bull was ridden.

"It was cool," said a smiling Dereck Tolua, 8. Tolua and his sister, Tua, 27, are from Waimanalo so they have seen their share of rodeos, but none with the PBR's spectacle.

"It would be so exciting if they come every year," Tua Tolua said.

Others agreed.

Butch Lincoln flew over with friend Rabang from the Big Island for the weekend.

"For the first time for the PBR being here, the crowd is excellent," said Lincoln. "They pulled a lot of people. They didn't come only from O'ahu, they came from all the Islands."

They came from the Mainland as well.

Robert Wilson was visiting from Galveston, Texas, when he read about the event in the newspaper.

"I think it's really great," he said. "They've got some fine bulls here, and to have this each year would be a great idea. They seem to have a great crowd here."

The crowd was the main concern for Bernard.

"It's very expensive to bring an event like this," he explained. "It's going to cost us close to $650,000, $700,000 to bring this event here along with the one on Maui."

PBR held the Myron Duarte Maui Challenge at War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku last weekend. It was won by two-time PBR World Champion, Chris Shivers.

"I think it's been a great success," Bernard said. "As long as we have a great crowd and the fans are having a great time, I think we walk away winners. Everybody."

Gov. Linda Lingle, along with Mayor Mufi Hannemann took in Friday night's action.

"I think it's a great event for the people of Honolulu," Lingle said. "It's something different. I've never been to it before, and I'm sure a lot of these people haven't."

Shivers suffered a broken left leg after completing his ride on a bull named Chili in the first round. Shivers, who has been riding professionally for nine years, is the first PBR rider to eclipse $3 million in career earnings. His ride on Chili earned him a top score of 91.5 in the first round. But as he attempted to dismount, the bull stomped on Shivers' leg. He will be out three to six months.

The average PBR bull weighs between 1,700 and 1,800 pounds.

Lingle and Bernard would both like to see a future for the PBR in Hawai'i.

"Once word gets out, I think you're going to see bigger and bigger crowds," said Lingle. "It's great entertainment."

Bernard was a little more definitive.

"I was asked if we'd come back yearly before the event, and I said we'd have to wait and see," he said. "But from what I've seen so far, the fans ... they love it, and I think I'd have to say yes, I'd love to make it a yearly event."

And it seems there would be fans.

"Definitely," said Honolulu resident Rick Schweitzer when asked if he would attend every year.

"I was real excited," he said of purchasing tickets for this weekend. "We got them right away."

Riders completed four rounds, two per night, with a possible 100 points per ride. Two judges rate the rider as well as the performance of the bull.

Makawao-native Myron Duarte drew the biggest applause from the crowd Friday night, but neither of his rides qualified as they did not last the required 8 seconds and therefore were not scored.

According to PBR, which was founded in 1992, more than 100 million viewers tune in every year on various networks.

The 2007 Built Ford Tough Series season kicks off Jan. 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York and culminates in the World Finals in Las Vegas, Nov. 1 to 4.

Last night's action will be aired today on VERSUS, formerly the Outdoor Life Network. The 2 1/2-hour broadcast begins at 2:30 p.m.