The Sunway Pyramid shopping complex opened in 1997 in Petaling Jaya, a neighboring city to Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. The Egyptian-themed shopping extravaganza invites visitors past the entrance's massive lion statue and pyramidal dome into four floors of retail madness. Surrounded by tiered balconies with overlooking storefronts, Malaysia's first and largest indoor skating rink, Sunway Pyramid Ice (sunwaypyramidice.com) measures in at just under 9,500 square feet, which is only about half the size of an Olympic-size rink. Despite its smaller size, Sunway Pyramid hosts roughly 15,000 skaters a month. The ice is open for public skates daily beginning at 9 a.m. Private and small-group lessons tend to dominate the center section of the ice, especially during the midday hours when the rink is not as busy. Even if you don't pick up a pair of rentals and glide around the ice, you can climb to an upper balcony and gaze down on budding figure skaters practicing spins beside crowds of smiling Malaysian teens and a sprinkling of Western tourists.
Also in Petaling Jaya, the Royale Bintang Damansara (royalebintangdamansara.com) followed nearby Sunway Pyramid's lead by addressing the growing interest in ice skating. In addition to an outdoor infinity pool, spa services and first-class treatment, this luxury hotel operates its own indoor skating rink, called The Curve. The ice is open to the public every day from 10 a.m. through 10 p.m. and provides a more intimate setting than Sunway Pyramid's expansive shopping arena. The smaller rink at The Curve is a great place to book a private lesson and learn some skills that you can show off to the crowds at Sunway Pyramid.
The Sunway Pyramid Ice Rink set the stage for the Ice Skating Association of Malaysia to institute the first Malaysian National Figure Skating Championship in 2006. Each subsequent year, Malaysia's top skaters, all of whom trained on either the Sunway Pyramid Ice or abroad, compete for national titles and spots in international competitions. In 2007, just after the debut of the national competition, Malaysia made its first appearance in figure skating at the Asian Winter Games. Appearances by Malaysian figure skaters continue to increase at competitions across the globe.
Along with the growing popularity of figure skating, ice hockey is making strides in Malaysian culture. Malaysia joined the International Ice Hockey Federation in 2006. Since then, the Malaysia Ice Hockey Federation stages international ice hockey competitions on the rink at Sunway Pyramid, which is a challenge for international skaters since the rink is not Olympic-size. To accommodate, each hockey team can send only four players out on the ice. Malaysian spectators generally can't tell the difference, however, since most are witnessing the sport for the first time. As of 2012, more than 200 Malaysian ice hockey players depend on the Sunway Pyramid as the only rink capable of hosting practices, which take place either early in the morning before public sessions begin or late at night after the public sessions conclude.
