How Sunway Pyramid Ice Became the Heart of Asia-Pacific Skating

SkateAsia 2026

If you were anywhere in Sunway Pyramid between 6 and 16 August, you'll have noticed something different going on below the usual shopping crowd. Skaters from 38 rinks were out on the ice, chasing medals in front of anyone who cared to lean over the railings and watch. That was SkateAsia 2026, and it turned out to be the biggest edition the competition has ever seen.

A Record-Breaking Return

SkateAsia 2026 ran at Sunway Pyramid Ice from 6 to 16 August, marking the competition's 24th edition and, at 37 years old, its largest ever. Over those 11 days, 1,412 skaters took part, more than 4,000 competition events were held, and coaches, judges, referees and families came in from 38 participating rinks across Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, the USA and the Ice Skating Institute of Asia.

Sunway Pyramid Ice didn't just host the competition, its home team walked away as Overall Team Champion of SkateAsia 2026. Visiting judges, referees and teams also gave special mention to how much they appreciated the support from the Sunway Pyramid Ice crew throughout the tournament, which says a lot when you're coordinating that many travelling teams over 11 straight days.

Nearly Four Decades in the Making

SkateAsia isn't a one-off event, it's a rotating regional competition with 37 years of history behind it. Host countries take turns on a cycle, and Malaysia comes up roughly once every four years. 2026 marked the seventh time SkateAsia has returned to Malaysia since 1999.

What actually makes SkateAsia worth paying attention to isn't the medal count. It's the chance for skaters, especially younger ones still building their craft, to compete against different countries' skating styles and get real international competition experience. That kind of exposure is hard to get any other way, and it's a big part of why the event keeps coming back.

Why It Keeps Coming Back to Sunway Pyramid Ice

Every single Malaysian edition of SkateAsia, going back to 1999, has been held at Sunway Pyramid Ice: 1999, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2022 and now 2026. That's not a coincidence, it's a track record built over seven editions and nearly three decades.

Part of it comes down to what the venue actually offers. Sunway Pyramid Ice is a genuinely competition-standard rink sitting inside one of the country's busiest lifestyle destinations. It's positioned right in the heart of the mall and visible from all five levels, so the competition plays out in front of a real public audience instead of behind closed doors. And once the day's events wrap up, travelling families, coaches and supporters get to enjoy everything else Sunway Pyramid has to offer too, dining, shopping and entertainment included.

For Sunway Pyramid Ice, hosting SkateAsia also feeds into something bigger than any single tournament: its ongoing role in growing ice skating in Malaysia, both as a competitive sport and something people can simply pick up and enjoy.

Thirty Years on the Ice

Sunway Pyramid Ice opened as Malaysia's first world-class ice rink and is now entering its 30th year. The rink measures 39m by 22.5m and was built with an open-concept design specifically so visitors on every level of the mall could watch the action below, a layout that's shaped how the venue hosts events ever since.

Over three decades, it's hosted Skate Malaysia, Skate Asia, World Ice Hockey Championships, recreational skating programmes, training pathways and countless performances. It's also helped launch real careers: Fang Ze Zeng, who won gold in men's singles figure skating at the 2025 SEA Games, and Julian Yee, Malaysia's first figure skater to compete at the Winter Olympics, both started out on this same rink.

Their journeys are a good reminder of what a platform like this can do when it's given time to build. Sunway Pyramid Ice is still doing that work today, giving skaters of every age and ability a place to learn, train, compete and pursue what's next.

So next time you're at Sunway Pyramid, swing by the rink, you might just catch the next big name in Malaysian skating taking their first steps on the ice.