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Skaters get laced up at Oakland Ice Center | Source: Alexa Trevi\u00f1o for SF Standard<\/p>\nWhile Alysa Liu may be on the other side of the globe, basking in her gold medal-winning performance at the Winter Olympics in Milan, her presence still looms large at her home training ground, the Oakland Ice Center.<\/p>\n
Quite literally, in fact. A blown-up printed cutout of Liu\u2019s smiling face is taped to a door to a staff room near the entrance. Look up when you\u2019re in the ice rink, and you\u2019ll see an extreme version of a proud parent\u2019s display. Numerous banners celebrate her world and national championships and prior Olympic achievements.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On Friday afternoon, a day after the Center\u2019s watch party, amateur ice skaters of all ages \u2014 and even one coach, who bragged that he instructed Liu when she was a child \u2014 continued the celebration of her historic win.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
One girl, Abby P., 11, of Alameda, characterized Liu\u2019s performance as \u201cgraceful,\u201d and \u201celegant.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI feel passionate \u2014 it makes me want to skate more!\u201d she said. \u201cAn Olympian was skating here, and I\u2019m skating here too! She\u2019s the celebrity of this place!\u201d<\/p>\n
Skaters get laced up at Oakland Ice Center | Source: Alexa Trevi\u00f1o for SF Standard<\/p>\n
Lisa Foster, a parent, also chimed in, and was equally admiring.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t fangirled on somebody like this in a long time \u2014\u00a0she\u2019s just so joyful!\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cIn a world where we have people who think that you have to be a bully to win, to have her be so sweet, that makes me happy!\u201d<\/p>\n
Liu, who grew up in Richmond, grew up at this rink while attending Oakland School of the Arts just next door (opens in new tab)<\/a>. She reportedly (opens in new tab)<\/a> continues to train regularly at Oakland Ice Center.<\/p>\n This two-rink complex \u2014 one for figure skating, one for hockey \u2014 was completed in 1995, and sits, somewhat improbably (opens in new tab)<\/a>, in the heart of downtown Oakland, just blocks away from City Hall and an even shorter distance to the Fox Theater.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Oakland Ice Center, built on a prior vacant lot, was conceived of just a few years after another Bay Area figure skating legend, Kristi Yamaguchi (opens in new tab)<\/a>, won Olympic gold at the 1992 Olympic Games in France. <\/p>\n Yamaguchi, who grew up in nearby Fremont, was in attendance at Liu\u2019s historic performance, and personally congratulated (opens in new tab)<\/a> her afterwards.<\/p>\n Kristie Koehler, of El Cerrito, said it was inspirational to watch Liu on Thursday.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI love the girl power,\u201d she said. \u201cI love her individuality! She\u2019s totally enthusiastic! It\u2019s a joy to see.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Koehler\u2019s daughter, Harper, 13, echoed the sentiment. <\/p>\n \u201cShe had great spins!\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Tenshi Vilchis, a recent UC Santa Cruz graduate who grew up in Oakland but now lives in San Leandro, said that she just started ice skating a month ago. She\u2019s now invigorated to continue practicing after twice watching Liu\u2019s \u201cmagnetic\u201d achievement. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m honing my Alysa Liu!\u201d she said. \u201cI like her style, very alt. She has a cool sense of style!\u201d<\/p>\n Charlie M. said she had been skating for more than a decade and shared her own Olympic dreams. <\/p>\n \u201cI got inspired \u2014\u00a0I want to go to the Olympics in 2030!\u201d she said, awaiting the start of her lesson. It came with the somber realization that it would be a life of \u201ceat, sleep, skate, bed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI started tearing up while watching [Liu],\u201d Charlie added. <\/p>\n Charlie\u2019s coach, Michael Chack (opens in new tab)<\/a>, himself a former competitive figure skater, said that he had coached Liu when she was younger and hoped her success could help further raise the profile of Oakland Ice Center.<\/p>\n \u201cWe love our sport and it\u2019s very demanding \u2014 one little mistake, you go from first to 10th,\u201d he said. \u201cWe hope to produce champions.\u201d<\/p>\n The Town is poised to celebrate Liu\u2019s return, even beyond her adoring ice skating community. Shortly after her win, just two miles away from Oakland Ice Center, Fenton\u2019s, a local ice cream parlor, announced on Instagram (opens in new tab)<\/a> that it would give her \u201cice cream for life\u201d to celebrate her accomplishment.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re ready to celebrate, we would love to host your homecoming party at Fentons Creamery,\u201d the legendary ice cream shop wrote. \u201cThe sundaes are on standby.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Four](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771696211_673_-S3840x2560-FPNG.png\"\/)
A family of four (left to right) Harper Dizon, Kristie Koehler, Hunter Dizon, and Patrick Dizon were skating at Oakland Ice Center on Friday. | Source: Alexa Trevi\u00f1o for SF Standard<\/p>\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771696212_164_-S3840x2560-FPNG.png\"\/)
Coach Michael Chack (left) and one of his students, Charlie M., pose with a banner of Alyssa Liu at Oakland Ice Center. | Source: Alexa Trevi\u00f1o for SF Standard<\/p>\n