Asia Nakakura spends so much time at the Ice Palace, she says, "I'm there more than I'm at my house."

Besides coaching younger skaters, the 19-year-old from Pearl City spends hours a day practicing.

Now the days seem to have gotten longer as the U.S. National Collegiate Figure Skating Championships approaches.

The championships will be held at the Ice Palace, Wednesday through Friday, the first time a national figure skating championship is being held in Hawai'i.

Eighty-three skaters — all full-time college students in the top two levels of U.S. Figure Skating, junior and senior — are expected to compete in the event hosted by the Hawai'i Figure Skating Club.

Nakakura joins Kane'ohe's Kellie Nakamura, 19, as the two skaters from the University of Hawai'i. Nakamura is a senior-level skater, and Nakakura a junior-level skater.

"I'm kind of stressed a little bit, because I want to do well," Nakakura said. "So getting ready for it, and doing good programs before it so that you're confident when you compete, it's stressful."

Although the collegiate championships are different from regional, sectional, and national competition — where skaters such as former Olympians Michelle Kwan and Sarah Hughes would compete — the caliber of skaters is good, with a few competing in national championships.

"It's serious, because you want to do well in it," Nakakura said. "But it's not as serious as the other stuff (regionals, sectionals and nationals). That has a lot more pressure on it. It's for fun, but you still want to work hard and do well on it."

Nakamura said she is looking forward to competing against skaters her age who are in college and have similar schedules.

Skaters from 62 schools including as Boston College, UCLA, North Carolina, California, Connecticut, Maryland and Oregon are scheduled to compete.

To prepare, Nakakura and Nakamura, who are both coached by Shanel Passi, have different approaches — dictated by their time constraints.

Nakakura, who began skating when she was 4, usually arrives at the rink at 5:30 a.m., gets home at 11 a.m., then returns to the rink at 4:45 p.m. She's usually back home at 7:30.

Nakamura, who started when she was 9, is in summer school at UH and working part-time, only manages to get to the rink an hour in the morning, Tuesday through Friday, and some Saturdays.

"When competitions come, it kind of hits me, and I train harder," she said.

Earlier this year, Nakamura passed the skills test that advanced her to the senior level.

"I felt really good, because there was a point where I wanted to quit and my mom told me to stick with it," she said. "I'm kind of relieved now. I feel very accomplished."

They look forward to bringing the event to Hawai'i, especially for the younger skaters.

"It is going to be inspirational for the kids," Nakamura said. "Instead of seeing us all the time, they have other people to look up to."

Nakamura, who is competing in her first collegiate event, said she likes it because it guarantees that every skater will perform both their short and free skate programs. Because of the volume of junior and senior female skaters, there is a qualifying round, from where 12 junior and 15 senior skaters will advance to the finals. The others will compete in a "silver round," or a consolation round.

"It's a good thing because you work really hard on both programs and it's frustrating when you only get to do one," Nakamura said.

Both are capable of landing double jumps, a requirement for the short program. Nakamura's hardest jump is a double lutz, and Nakakura's is a double axel.

"It's scary when you are first learning it, axels and doubles, because you do fall, and you fall hard sometimes, but once you get the jump consistent and you get over the fear, it's really easy," Nakakura said.

"I think the jumps are the most stressful thing in the program," she said. "The other stuff is pretty easy, and the spins aren't hard, but they're tiring. They make you more tired than jumping, but you don't worry about them as much."

Nakakura said she plans on continuing with figure skating, even after she is done competing.

"Because I really like to do it, and it's an important part of my life, I'm planning on doing it forever," she said. "I don't think I could stop."