Honolulu teen’s development as an aspiring ice skater stymied by renovation delays at state’s only ice rink
By ‘A’ali’i Dukelow
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HONOLULU (KITV) — Things were looking up for teen figure skater Sara Ota of Honolulu. She fine-tuned her skills, executing advanced jumps such as the double axel.
Now a junior at Punahou School, Ota had hopes of qualifying for the prestigious National Development Camp — a three-day program that could open doors to international competitions and Team USA.
“I competed a lot and learned from my mistakes from last season and I was just so ready to do well the next season and that got canceled,” Ota said.
Two years later, Ota has not set foot in a rink because Ice Palace, the only ice skating facility in Hawaii, has been closed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the meantime, Ota said she has been performing substitute exercises, such as inline skating and ballet.
“Conditioning your body really helps, but of course, to some extent. Those are not going to replace the ice,” Ota added.
At six months shy of her 18th birthday, Ota will age out of qualifying for the National Development Camp. She has accepted the reality, and is now striving towards competing at the collegiate level.
Regardless of her skating career’s future, Ota is itching to get back on the ice.
“Skating was always something I loved and it was my passion and one of my priorities. It would relieve my stress and just the feeling of landing a jump is just so amazing to me,” Ota said.
Ice Palace management told KITV4 they are still working on renovations and waiting on equipment from the mainland. There is no expected delivery date for the items because of the ongoing supply chain slowdown.
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