About 25 skaters will take part in an international competition - Skate Down Under - at the Dunedin Ice Stadium.
They hail from Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, and will be competing in senior, junior and novice grades.
A big blow for local fans is the likely absence of Dunedin star Sarah MacGibbon.
The national champion has a back injury and was seeing the doctor yesterday.
The withdrawal of the talented MacGibbon would be ''a real shame'', New Zealand Ice Figure Skating Association chief executive Sandra Williamson-Leadley said.
There will still be some talented skaters on the ice. One to watch is Auckland 16-year-old Michael Durham.
''He's only been skating four years, so he's really had a meteoric rise through the ranks,'' Williamson-Leadley said.
Durham heads to Japan next month for a junior grand prix event.
Williamson-Leadley will also referee at the competition, and will be joined by officials from Japan, Korea and Australia.
Skaters were eagerly awaiting the chance to perform on the best ice in the country, she said.
Entry is free for the competition, which starts with the novice and junior short programmes from 2pm today.
The novice free skate and senior short programme will be held tomorrow from 3pm, and the junior and novice free skate are on Saturday from 12.30pm.
A free have-a-go session will follow the competition between 4pm and 6pm on Saturday.
