An enthusiastic and youthful mob braved frigid temperatures in Eagle Mountain on Wednesday night to open the city's new skate park.

For youths and their parents, the park represented a place for teens to have something constructive to do.

"There is not much out here in Eagle Mountain," said 17-year-old Brad Winter, who came with friends to skate before city officials cut a yellow ribbon to mark the official opening of the new $350,000 skate park.

"We are always getting in trouble for being at the gas station, and there are a lot of skaters in Eagle Mountain," said 15-year-old Coden Chatfield.

"The other day there were 50 people out here [skating] when it was warmer," said 15-year-old Levi Monson.

All three agreed that the skate park was about the best thing around for youth, especially young men.

"I get pumped up just to come out to skate because I just love to do it," said Winter. "I wish I could live next door so I could come here every day."

While some residents had expressed concerns to the city that the skate park might attract crime and graffiti, Chase Nosack, 18, of Eagle Mountain said the youth know the rules and will police each other.

"I know how it works, and if it gets tagged [with graffiti], they will shut it down," Nosack said. "This is our skate park and we want it to stay open."

Nosack said he has traveled to every skate park in Utah to hone his craft, and while Eagle Mountain's new park might be smaller than some, he welcomed it, saying it has enough elements to challenge experienced skaters and enough easy elements to allow beginners to learn, and it saves having to travel to other cities and even other counties to find a good skate park.

And it will save in trespassing tickets. Nosack said he and friends have gotten trespassing tickets recently for skating in church parking lots in Eagle Mountain.

"We have been waiting for this," said Jennifer Lesieur, a mother of three including two skateboarders ages 7 and 9.

Wanting to support her sons' desire to skate because it is healthy and active, she has even driven them to other counties to skate, she said. She was one of the residents that petitioned Eagle Mountain to build its own skate park.

"It keeps them out of trouble," she said of the youth. "It gives them a safe environment and it's active."

Dale Brink, father of four skateboarding youth, agreed.

"It gives the kids something to do in the area without getting into trouble for driving motorcycles," Brink said. "And it's good, healthy exercise outside, and it keeps them away from video games."

City officials, at times struggling to control the enthusiasm of the hoard of skaters, gave away skate board decks, T-shirts, skating DVDs and other prizes to youth in a drawing after the ribbon cutting to open the park.

The crowd was treated to free pizza and hot chocolate donated by local businesses.

Eagle Mountain's Pony Express Skate Park is located at the junction of Major Street and Eagle Mountain Boulevard. The park is open to skaters from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and children under 8 years old must be supervised by an adult.