While the Bay Area might not be known as a hotbed for sports played on ice, there’s a magical transformation that takes place each year around the holidays.

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The number of ice skating rinks nearly triples, even though temperatures rarely drop below freezing. For at least two months a year, the outdoor pop-ups are hosting children learning to skate for the first time, lovers sharing a romantic date night and friends of all ages taking a spin while holiday tunes fill the air.

In San Ramon on Nov. 7, Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi will kick off the ice skating season by opening her holiday ice rink at City Center Bishop Ranch for the fourth consecutive year.

Yamaguchi, who grew up in Fremont and graduated from Mission San Jose High School, became the first Asian Am

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