#Worldiceskatingday    

The Best WISD 2023 Winners now revealed. © International Skating Union

On December 3, 2023, the International Skating Union (ISU), in collaboration with numerous partners, national federations, and skating clubs worldwide, celebrated the second edition of the World Ice Skating Day (WISD). The event was widely hailed as a success, boasting organized festivities in 53 countries and at 130 ice rinks globally (as reported here). To further encourage WISD organizers to create unforgettable skating experiences, the ISU introduced the “Best World Ice Skating Day” (Best WISD) contest. Out of the numerous submissions received for the 2023 edition, the ISU is delighted to announce Hungary and Vietnam as the winning nations, with Indonesia winning the Best World Ice Skating Dance (#WISDance) and Mexico winning the inaugural ‘Spirit of WISD’ Award.

Launched during the inaugural WISD in 2022, the Best WISD award aims to recognize the most impactful WISD initiatives. These initiatives are meticulously evaluated against a defined set of criteria and targets, with detailed information available here.

The 2023 Best #WISD awards go to Hungary who is the recipient of the Best WISD 2023 title in the category of events boasting 500 or more attending participants. In a simultaneous celebration of excellence, Vietnam claims the prestigious title in the category involving events with less than 500 participants, following in the footsteps of last year's winners: Indonesia and Mexico.

Adding to the celebration, the Best #WISDance category saw Indonesia securing the award for the most creative WISD signature choreography. This acknowledgment highlights the diverse and innovative ways in which participants around the world contributed to making the WISD 2023 an extraordinary and memorable experience. The possibility of being crowned the Best WISD 2023 was met with tremendous enthusiasm across all 53 participating countries, resulting in a plethora of submissions. Clubs, national federations, and associations from these nations showcased ingenuity and creativity, presenting innovative and distinctive concepts to elevate their WISD events. Their collective goal was to guarantee an unforgettable experience for children and the wider public, ensuring that the spirit of joy and camaraderie prevailed on the ice throughout the festivities.

WISD participants in Vietnam @SFV

A comprehensive methodology is used to distinguish which WISD event stands out from the numerous activities and events that occurred worldwide. To enter the contest, an organizer of a WISD event must submit a comprehensive report which includes information on their promotional and marketing efforts, originality and creativity of events, usage of branding toolkit, social media, and digital insights, the programs focused on kids and more. The WISD 23’ organizers are categorized into two distinct groups based on event size: the first are organizers with over 500 attendees, while the second those with fewer than 500 participants.

The winner in each category is rewarded with the following prize money:

• Best WISD (+500 attendees) - USD 5’000.-

• Best WISD (fewer than 500 attendees) - USD 3’000.-

• Best #WISDance choreography – USD 3’000.-

• Special prize- ‘Spirit of WISD’- USD 3’000.-

 The ISU President, Jae Youl Kim stated:

“Congratulations to Hungary, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Mexico on winning the Best WISD awards for 2023! The passion and imagination displayed by these countries, as well as other participants, inspire us all. I thank everyone for their unwavering dedication and innovative contributions, which made WISD 2023 an unforgettable event. We are thrilled by the growing level of engagement from national federations and clubs globally. This was reflected in the jump in participation and number of submissions for the second Best WISD contest. Let's carry this energy forward to the next editions of WISD, celebrating this magnificent festival with the whole family and staying true to our mission of introducing the joy of skating to future generations.”

Overview of the winners:

Hungary – Best WISD Winner (500+ participants category)

Hungary, through its federation (Hungarian National Skating Federation- HNSF), organized the WISD in Budapest at the historical ‘City Park Ice Rink’ which is the biggest open air ice rink in Europe. reaching around 2000 participants. The HNSF also conducted another activation at the Debrecen Ice Rink which was attended by 500 persons.  

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The key activities undertaken in Hungary consisted of:

• A wide range of activities organized that included free ice skating lessons with dedicated instructors and a wide range of WISD themed goodies like bags, gloves and stickers to the attendees especially the kids.

• Educative-oriented actions with a diploma being awarded to the participants that enrolled in the free skating lessons to encourage young generations to get on the ice without fear and discover the thrill of ice-skating sports.

• Initiation sessions on Figure Skating, Short Track and Synchronized Skating by professional skaters were undertaken to the delight of the spectators with a special rendition of the #WISDance by the elite skaters.

• Extensive digital promotion and social media campaign with large reach and engagement rates.

Historical "City Park Ice Rink" in Budapest (HUN) @HNSF

"Celebrating the enchanting 150-year-old City Park Ice Rink, we gladly hosted World Ice Skating Day, attracting enthusiasts from all over Hungary. Thanks to the devoted Hungarian Skating Family, a vibrant community, we shared the joys of skating regardless of age, gender, or skill. Special thanks to the International Skating Union for initiating and nurturing this global passion on the first Sunday of December each year."

Stated proudly Mr. Lajos Kosa, President of the HNSF, Hungary.

Vietnam – Best WISD Winner (500- participants category)

In the second category considering events with less than 500 persons in attendance, through the Skating Federation of Vietnam, is the second winner of the Best WISD 2023 Awards.

“The Skating Federation of Vietnam is honored and elated to have been chosen the 2^nd place winner of the Best WISD Awards 2023, it was a great teamwork that made this celebration a success, SFV is always committed to work with underprivileged children and provide them opportunities to shine, we thank the ISU for their support always.”

Declared Dr. Ha Viet, , President of the Skating Federation of Vietnam.

The key activities undertaken in Vietnam consisted of:

• Special ‘Heart to Heart’ themed WISD celebrations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City that united all skaters irrespective of age, levels and physical limitations which saw around 200 disabled and autistic children celebrating WISD with everyone.

• Feature performances by the National Speed Skating, Synchronized Skating and Figure Skating medalists to encourage the participants in attendance.

• Free skating lessons by coaches and national Skaters for all children and beginners. Doan Ngoc Bao, an inspirational disabled skater also joined in the celebrations as the Ambassador who used his big social media following to promote the WISD.

• WISD themed goodie mugs as giveaways to all participants.

• Fostering inclusivity lay at the heart of Vietnam's WISD theme, "Heart to Heart," which aimed to unite skaters of diverse skill levels and actively welcome disabled skaters into the festivities alongside their peers.

Indonesia– Winner of the Best #WISDance 2023 choreography

The the best #WISDance 2023 Award was won by Indonesia (Federasi Ice Skating Indonesia). The #WISDance signature choreography, originally created by last year’s Best #WISDance winners the Ice Academy of Montreal, was used as a unifying force bringing together skaters from all participating countries.

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Indonesia’s unique rendition with 14 rinks  across the nation performing the #WISDance that was a compilation of the  Indonesian skaters showcasing the signature moves. There was no doubt that the #WISDance had resonated with the young and upcoming skaters from this passionate, emerging powerhouse ‘tropical’ Ice Skating nation.

WISD participants in Jakarta (INA) @FISI

‘We are very humbled and grateful for being chosen as the Best #WISDance 2023 winners, having won the Best WISD 2022, our journey of togetherness continues for 2023, we had 11 cities-14 ice rinks and 3800 participants in Indonesia that participated this year, and we will make best efforts to introduce winter activities as a ‘National Sport’ in our country. When all ice rinks, coaches, rink managements, skaters’, parents come together as a unit, we can achieve great heights’ 

Stated Ms. Suzan Herawaty, President of FISI.

Spirit of WISD- Mexico

We are proud to introduce a new category for this edition which is ‘Spirit of WISD’ that is awarded to a WISD organizer that showcased exemplary efforts to invigorate the entire nation to join the WISD movement through unique, inclusive and accessible programs. Last year’s WISD winners in the under 500 persons category, Mexico started with a single club from Nuevo Léon that participated in the first edition back in 2022. This year Mexico multiplied their efforts with celebrations occurring in 6 states and 11 rinks all over the country, The Mexican Federation of Figure Skating and Winter Sports (FEMEPASHIDI) employed great marketing and promotional efforts to motivate ice rinks in the country and ensure that the next generation of Mexican skaters have an excellent platform to hone their skills, with an opportunity to start with the basics at a WISD event in their neighborhood.

WISD participants in Mexico @FEMEPASHID

There were wonderful programs throughout the country that kickstarted with a promotional video by Olympian Donovan Carillo, free skating and coaching programs in several clubs, free WISD themed goodies to the attendees especially the kids, promoting inclusivity though showcasing ‘Special Olympic’ skaters and excellent use of the #WISD branding toolkit in the promotions and on ground events.  Mexico truly demonstrated the WISD spirit by ensuring a great day of learning celebrations and fun for the entire family and are deserving winners of the inaugural ‘Spirit of WISD’ 2023 award.