He loves the lights. He loves the attention. And he loves the sparkling red sequin vest he wears for a group performance with the Oakland Ice Center Skating Team.

"This is really, really fun," Rahul said as his mother helped him suit up for his next performance, a synchronized number to the holiday carol "We Need a Little Christmas."

"I love the whole anticipation thing that comes when you wait to perform on the ice," he added.

Nicholas Wong's excitement for the sport matched Rahul's as the 11-year-old Oakland boy noted he loved ice skating because he likes to "jump and do technical stuff."

Participating in the Holiday Magic on Ice event makes him feel like he is bringing the Christmas Spirit to the nearly sold-out crowd that packed the hockey rink's bleachers during the event.

"It makes my holidays brighter," he said.

Several dozen ice skaters, from amateur hobbyists to Olympic-bound sportsmen, took to the iceSunday for the holiday show. The event highlighted skaters from as close to home as Oakland and as far as Sacramento. Most of the skaters participate in the St. Moritz Ice Skating Club, one of the oldest United States Figure Skating Association members, based at the Oakland Ice Center.

The Holiday Magic on Ice show is a fund-raising event for the skaters, who spend thousands each year on lessons, costumes and ice rink rentals.

It is also a way for them to show their passion for the sport to a receptive audience, said Christy Ness, figure skating director at the Oakland Ice Center and coach to local Olympic star Kristi Yamaguchi.

"They work really hard and get a chance to show off and really exhibit what they've learned," Ness said.

Maureen Rhodin, mother to Junior Ice Theater skater Cicely Rhodin, 11, had a hard time putting into words the joy she felt at the show Sunday.

Naturally, she said, moms like to see their little ones having a good time with their friends during group performances, especially when most of the time they compete individually.

And as her little girl walked off the ice, Rhodin pointed to her smiling face and said, "That is why I love this."

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