Hot passion, Cold Ice
The Valentino skating circle, established in 1874, included Count Ernesto di Sambuy, later Mayor of Turin from 1883 to 1886, as one of its founders, and many of its members were the offspring of some of Turin’s best families.
In 1910, on the frozen lake in the Valentino Park, players from the Valentino and Lyon skating clubs armed with skates and sticks held what was later acknowledged as the first step towards the establishment of ice hockey in Italy.
Turin has a long tradition in two speed sports: short track and speed skating. Important recognition in these two disciplines was achieved precisely by athletes from historic Turin clubs, including Velocisti Ghiaccio Helios and Velocità Fiamma Torino. The best-known names are Maurizio Carnino and Hugo Herrnhof, both short track gold-medallists in the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics; Fabio Carta, current short track European champion and world runner-up, alongside a determined squad of young, emerging champions like Marta Capurso, Luciano Roveto, Gessica Martello and Simona Avitabile.
