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As films like “Ice Castles” and “Cool Runnings” have shown us, no individual aspiration, no team goal, is too far-fetched or ridiculous to dream for.
SM Skating knows this all too well, as it has never let our being a tropical country become a hindrance to harboring big dreams of participating and excelling in sports events associated with the Winter Olympics.
Whether it’s Figure Skating, Speed Skating, or Ice Hockey; SM Skating has put forward the value proposition that the ice rinks that exist in particular SM malls can be more than just recreational or leisure pursuits. A young girl’s “Ice Castles” dreams, the hopes of a band of brothers to form an ice hockey team and compete globally, they all can see the SM ice rinks as the venue and first major step to making those pipe dreams come true.
SM Megamall opened in 1992 with the country’s first-ever ice rink. What began as a novelty has transformed into Olympic-size rinks at SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, and SM Seaside City Cebu. These rinks now serve as official training grounds for those pursuing proficiency in Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, and Speed Skating.
As the home to our national teams in Figure Skating and Ice Hockey, SM Skating and its ice rinks have played a crucial role in nurturing several multi-awarded athletes in these winter sports over the years. Notable figures include two-time Winter Olympian Michael Martinez, Isabella Gamez, and Alexander Korovin – the first Southeast Asian and Philippine pair to compete in the World Championships of Figure Skating. Additionally, we take pride in 2022 National Champion and Junior Worlds figure skater Sofia Frank, 2022 National Medalist and GMA Sparkle Artist Charmaine Skye Chua (featured in the teleserye “Hearts on Fire”), and back-to-back National Junior Medalist Cathryn Limketkai.
Our Philippines Men’s National Ice Hockey team recently garnered Gold in Division IV of the 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Ice Hockey Championship. That’s quite a feat for a tropical nation in a team sport competition.
While others may have downplayed harboring dreams of the Philippine flag being unfurled during a Winter Olympics medal ceremony, SM Skating has asked ‘Why not?’ and has laid the groundwork for raising that possibility.
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