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Browning as elder skatesman
| Source: |
Maclean's |
| Date: |
April 30, 2001 |
Photo: Dan Callis
Let me be your cowboy:
Browning and Josee Chouinard
For 11 years, Kurt Browning has skated the closing number at every
performance of the Chrysler Stars on Ice tour in Canada. There were
often Olympic champions in the cast, but no one is more popular than
the Caroline, Alta., native. In 2001, though, Browning has happily
ceded the closing duties to an old friend. This week in Winnipeg,
Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary, fans will see American Scott Hamilton
in the closing role. The 42-year- old Hamilton, who founded the tour
14 years ago, is retiring. "We are celebrating what he has done with
Stars," says Browning. "Besides, he thinks of himself as an adopted
son here. Canadians have always embraced him, and he appreciates
that."
Hamilton's retirement leaves Browning, 34, as the elder skatesman
on a tour that boasts world-class talent. Browning knows that touring
is wearying, especially for those who skate the U.S. leg of the tour
for three months before coming north. And even world champions
occasionally need reminders to stay sharp. "Sometimes the best way to
lead," he says, "is to simply do my best every time out."
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