Harbin, China, August 14, 2025: His friends call him ‘Wiggie’, and the numbers are growing by the day at the Asian Figure Skating Youth Camp in Harbin for Filipino Hans Ludwig Carizo.
Ludwig’s popularity soared to a peak when he won an OCA beanie for winning an interactive quiz, topping the rest of the field by six points, to earn the prized grey headwear which he now proudly sports at every training session.
Irrepressible by nature, the Manila-born Ludwig is one part of the team from the Philippines – one of 20 countries and regions at this nine-day camp – the other being Dawn Jasmine Gothong. Both are 12-year-olds.
“I started chasing my dreams to be a good figure skater ever since I watched our Filipino skater Michael Martinez representing our country in the Olympic Games,” says Ludwig. He would have been five when Martinez performed at his second Games, 2018 PyeongChang.
In the case of Jasmine, she took up figure skating “just for fun”. But now she too is passionate and hopes she can inspire other girls in the Philippines to take up the sport.
Both children were nominated by the Philippine Skating Union (PHSU) to attend the inaugural OCA-ISU-CAIC collaboration at what will become the Asian winter sports hub, a project of the OCA and the Harbin Municipal Government.
“The facilities here are amazing. Back home we only have two ice rinks, one in Manila and the other in Cebu. Both of these are public rinks,” says Filipino coach Frank Masayon, amazed at the purpose-built Harbin Ice Hockey Arena which has two giant rinks plus other amenities.
Frank is thrilled at Ludwig’s involvement in the interactive safeguarding session as he answers questions like 'what is the biggest fear in competition?’. Ludwig promptly cries out “falling” to earn a thumbs-up from the instructor.
“Figure skating is a unique sport in the Philippines, and to me it gives me a special feeling of being free when I’m on the ice. It is also fun doing all the stunts and fast rotations,” says Ludwig.
“Hopefully, one day I can become like the legendary Japanese skater Hanyu Yuzuru, or be able to do the jumps and spins of Jason Brown,” Ludwig adds, pointing to two famous figures in the sport.
“But thinking about them is what got me to where I am right now.” It seems half the battle is won, for in his mind, Ludwig thinks like a champion.
