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Legendary figure skater Kurt Browning to begin his Stars on Ice farewell tour in Halifax
| Source: |
The Chronicle Herald |
| Date: |
April 24, 2023 |
| Author: |
George Myrer |
Kurt Browning's connection with Halifax figure skating fans is undeniable.
The figure skating legend won his second of four world championships
in Halifax in 1990 and has thrilled audiences for 29 years as the
headliner of Stars on Ice.
But before Browning would become the darling of Halifax's figure
skating audience, he needed to make a connection of his own with the
rink.
Browning's first look inside the Metro Centre (now the Scotiabank
Centre) came under the cover of darkness, without adoring fans and
perhaps not on the up and up.
"I will tell you a story," said the charismatic Browning. "Norm Proft,
I want to mention his name because I want him to get in trouble if I
get in trouble for telling the story. We were there in the arena and
it had no ice. I don't know how we got into the place because it was
late, after the Five Fishermen or Split Crow. Who knows where we were?
We end up in the arena and worlds were going to be there, so I wanted
to get in and feel the place.
"I went to centre ice, which was centre cement, and I sat down with my
legs crossed. I sort of made friends with it and I have been friends
with that place ever since."
For Browning, there could be no finer moment than in 1990 with the
gold medal around his neck in front of an enthusiastic Halifax crowd
at the conclusion of the men's long program. It was Browning's
second-straight world title.
"To have 10,000 people sing 'O'Canada' when worlds happened that was a
moment I will never forget," said Browning, recalling the moment on
the podium as a 23-year-old world champion.
The following year, Browning made his first appearance as a headliner
in Stars on Ice, with a stop in Halifax in 1991.
Farewell tour
On Friday, April 28, the 56-year-old sensation will make his final
appearance at the Scotiabank Centre in his farewell tour with Stars on
Ice.
He is looking forward to his 30th and final headlining performance in
Halifax.
"Halifax every year is our best crowd, and I don't think it's going to
be any different (this time)," said Browning. "I wish we ended (the
tour) in Halifax like we used to at the beginning of the Stars on Ice
Tour back in the day.
"The standing ovations record for one show is held by Halifax. I think
it's 16 standing ovations."
Incredible lineup
Browning is on the Stars tour with a couple of Canadian icons. Joining
Browning are Patrick Chan, an Olympic gold and silver medallist and
three-time world champion, and Elvis Stojko, a two-time Olympic silver
medallist and three-time world champion.
The Canadian legends will headline a show that features one the most
diverse and talented casts presented by Stars on Ice in tour
history.
Other performers include two-time world medallists and two-time
Canadian dance champions Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, Olympic silver
medallists and 2023 world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates and
Olympic silver medallists and world pair champions Alexa Knierim and
Brandon Frazier.
Rounding out the tour's cast are two-time reigning Canadian champion
and Olympian Keegan Messing, two-time reigning Canadian champion and
Olympian Madeline Schizas, two-time world medallist and five-time
Belgian champion Loena Hendrickx, Olympic bronze medallist and
U.S. champion Jason Brown, Browning's wife Alissa Czisny, a two-time
U.S. champion, and Satoko Miyahara, a world silver medallist and
four-time Japanese champion.
Amazing career
Browning has a list of accolades almost as long as his Stars on Ice
career. He is in the Order of Canada and was inducted into the Canada
Sports Hall of Fame, Skate Canada Hall of Fame and the World Figure
Skating Hall of Fame. He's also the first skater to land a quadruple
jump in competition.
The charismatic skater was a natural when he turned professional and a
major hit in Stars On Ice. Stars became his labour of love, a passion
he brings to the ice with each performance, even after all these
years.
Browning said it's easier now to make sense out of a career that sees
him still performing at the age of 56.
"If you told me back in the early 1990s that I was going to do it for
three decades, that would seem ridiculous for a young man to think
that. Like a good relationship of any kind, I never found a reason why
I would want to do anything else, be anywhere else.
"I just kept wanting to come back."
He said he considered stepping away from Stars in 2015 but was unable
to cut the cord.
"In 2015, I privately in my own head, said that was my last year. I
choreographed the tour with a couple of special things that would be
for me. I kind of said goodbye to it and then I never left.
"To be honest, from 2015 to now, the reason I'm still skating is my
wife Alissa. We are both skaters and we wanted to do shows together
and have that experience. I think she is a huge reason why I stayed
this long."
However, Browning is a realist and knows Father Time is
unbeatable.
"Then along came the perfect number 30 (years) and I said, 'this is
it.' I still feel I can give something to the show, but I am starting
to push my luck with recovering from injuries and stuff. I want to
make sure people get their money's worth when they come."
Special programs
He has a couple of special programs for his farewell tour that he
hopes will resonate with his fans. He also wants to soak up the
atmosphere of the crowd while on the ice.
"It's going to be an adventure, like a long hug with somebody you care
about," said Browning. "One of my solos is built with holes in with
space for me to look up, especially near the end where the bow is
built into the music, so I can stand on the ice and look up. To feel
it so it doesn't go by like a train going by too fast and you can't
see it.
"The other solo is one I choreographed myself with little moments from
other Stars on Ice programs in the past. Almost the whole program is
like Lego blocks. If you are a real fan, you can see a section of
Brickhouse, see a bit of the Clown and a bit of Singing in the Rain
jammed together to 'Who Are You' by the Who.
"I think it's going to be a lot of fun."
Browning said the media attention he has received with his final tour
reminds him of his world championship days and he's enjoying the
ride.
"I'm not used to this much attention," he said. "I'm excited and
nervous, to be honest. I think it's going to be special."
When asked if his final tour would take an emotional toll on him,
Browing said, "I think it will be more of an emotional journey. The
toll has been paid already."
Note: Tickets for the Halifax show are available at www.starsonice.ca
or www.ticketatlantic.com.
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