On Thursday, March 12, Oakland hosted an Alysa Liu homecoming celebration, with iconic Bay Area musicians Kehlani and G-Easy stepping out to perform. At Oakland’s City Hall, where the celebration took place, the courtyard was fenced off to house food trucks, free merch, and a (non-alcoholic) bar. The Bay Area is known for its strong sense of community and pride, and this welcome-home party for Oakland’s own Alysa Liu truly showed it.
20-year-old figure skater Alysa Liu was born in Clovis, California, but she lives in and represents Oakland. She began her journey when she was five years old at the Oakland Ice Center, where her curiosity and love for the sport blossomed. As time went on, her bravery and grit rose to the point where she was landing prodigal figure skating stunts. Her determination in training led her to the 2019 Detroit National Championship, where she was the first U.S. woman to land three triple axles in competition.
Alysa eventually accomplished every athlete’s dream and competed at the Olympics at the ripe age of 16. Even so, underneath the sequined dresses and a seemingly constant streak of wins, Alysa faced severe burnout while adhering to the expectations of others, which ultimately led to her retirement in 2022. By doing so, she prioritised her well-being over the expectations of others, ultimately serving as a role model by stepping away when she lost her joy for figure skating.
During her time away from the ice, she explored the wonders behind a normal life. She started her bachelor’s degree in psychology at UCLA and got her drivers license. She explored a variety of hobbies such as hiking, skiing and playing fortnite. The iconic Alysa Liu halo hair was also born during this time. Each year she adds a new halo, symbolizing the rings of trees. While skiing for the first time during her retirement, she realized how much she missed the rush figure skating brought her and how she wanted to come back, this time on her terms.
During her two years of preparation for the 2026 Winter Olympics, her father and team were not the ones in charge. Instead she took all creative liberty heading in a vibrant direction. Alysa Liu is now in charge of music, choreography, costumes, and training regimen. These changes led to a spark reignited under her blades, just in time to win the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in early 2025, a catalyst towards her second Olympic games. Since then, her seemingly constant wins have not only inspired herself, but the Bay Area as a whole.