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Kurt Browning Profile
- Name: Kurt Browning (no middle name)
- DOB: June 18, 1966
- Height: 5'7"
- Spouse: Alissa Czisny, 2-time US Champion, Grand Prix Final Champion (married Aug. 11, 2022)
- Former Spouse: Sonia
Rodriguez, principal dancer in the National Ballet of Canada
- Children: Gabriel Browning Rodriguez, born July 12, 2003. Dillon Browning Rodriguez, born August 14, 2007.
- Citizenship: Canadian
- Birthplace: Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
- Hometown: Caroline, Alberta
- Current Residence: Toronto, Ontario
- Other known residences: Edmonton, Alberta; also known to travel
extensively
- Father: Dewey (Arnold) Browning (d. Nov. 20, 2008)
- Mother: Neva Browning (d. June 4, 2000)
- Sister: Dena Miller
- Brother: Wade Browning
- Occupation: Figure Skater
- Previous employment: Waiter
- Other interests: ice hockey, golf, choreography
- Coaches:
- Karen McLean - Rocky Mountain House, ~1976-1981
- Michael Jiranek
- Louis Stong - The Granite
Club, 1993-1997
- Partners: Michelle Pollitt, Kurt's only competitive skating partner. Won the pre-juvenile dance championship in Alberta in 1978 at the age of 12 to "The Mickey Mouse Club".
- Other known associates (choreographers):
- Gary Beacom - For Gabriel (A Child's Rhythm Basket)
- Sandra Bezic - Antares, Are You Lonesome Tonight
(co-choreographed), Can't Help Falling in Love (co-choreographed),
Casablanca, Colour My World (co-choreographed), Crash Into Me, Don't
Fence Me In (co-choreographed), Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me, Grand
Canyon Suite (1987-88 LP), Hey Pachuco, How Do You Keep The Music
Playing?, I Did It, Luck Be a Lady, Rag-GIDON-Time (co-choreographed), Serenade to Sonia, Slippery Side Up (co-choreographed), St. Louis Blues, Tequila,
That's Entertainment, Time in a Bottle
- Shae-Lynn Bourne - Motown Philly
- Kurt Browning - An American in Paris, Bedlam Ballroom,
Can't Help Falling in Love (co-choreographed), Christmas Jig, Christmas For Cowboys, Don't Fence Me In
(co-choreographed), Easy, Expectation and the Blues, Hall of the Mountain King, I'm Yours, If I Only Had a Brain, Let Love In, Masks and Morning Dance, Meditation from Thais, Mr. Bojangles, Monster Mash (with Sonia), My Favorite Things (?), Peace Frog, Rag-GIDON-Time (co-choreographed), Rebel Child, Say Hey, Slippery Side Up (co-choreographed), Triptico (with Shin Amano)
- Roberto Campanella - Elevation, Guitar, Nyah, Play That
Funky Music, Ding Dong Daddy
- Kevin Cottam - Cotton Club (1988-89 SP), Sign Your Name/Dance
Little Sister, Gaiete Parisienne/Le Cid/Can Can (1988-90 LP), Here I
Am/She's Hot to Go, Johnny Guitar, Lone Bank Blues/Toast of the
Town/Speedway (1989-90 SP)
- Christopher Dean - Ain't No Sunshine, Elite Syncopations (Red Hat)
- Clarence Ford - Bonzo's Montreux (1992-93 SP), Brickhouse
(co-choreographed)
- Linda Garneau - Downstream, Feeling Good
- Tiffany Gibb - Am I the Only One, O Little Town of Bethlehem
- Mark Hird - Bigger
- Doug Ladret - Radar Love
- Sabrina Matthews - Spirit of Adventure
- Lea Ann Miller - Lightning Crashes, Moondance
- Lori Nichol - Jitterbug, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
- Louis Oya - Passion
- Brian Powers - Firebird Suite (1991-92 SP), Hindu War God (1990-91
SP), Sons of Italy (1990-91 LP)
- Michael Seibert - All Alone, Are You Lonesome Tonight
(co-choreographed), Blues Berry Hill, Brickhouse (co-choreographed),
Colour My World (co-choreographed)
- Geoffrey Tyler - Steppin' Out Of My Mind (co-choreographed)
- David Wilson - Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
- Alexander Zhulin - I'm Not Sleeping, Summertime
- Known first offenses:
- Quadruple toe-loop (Worlds, Budapest, Hungary; March 25, 1988)
- Two triple axels in the same original program (Worlds, Paris,
France; 1989)
- Triple-salchow/triple-loop combo (Nations Cup, Belsenkirchen, West
Germany; 1990)
- Three triple-triple combinations in one program (triple
axel/triple toe loop, triple salchow/triple loop, triple flip/triple
toe loop) (Worlds, Munich, Germany; 1991)
- First to win Novice, Juniors, and Senior Canadian championships.
- First Canadian to win three consecutive Worlds.
- Only person to win Worlds with and without figures.
- Repeat offenses:
- Four-time World Champion
- Four-time Canadian Champion
- Three-time Olympian
- Three-time World Professional Champion
- Four-time Canadian Professional/Open Champion
- Two-time US Professional Champion
- Special skills: fast footwork, showmanship, charisma, artistry,
technical ability
- Weaknesses: triple lutz (Kurt went to the hospital four times for
impaling himself in the foot with his skate blade on this jump),
backflip (injured a shoulder while practicing this). Does not perform
triple lutz any longer, and retired the backflip until 2015, when he began to perform it again.
- Priors:
- 2020 Recipient of the inaugural ISU Skating Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2012 Recipient of the Diamond Jubilee Medal
- 2010 Gemini Awards nominee "Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series (Individual or Ensemble)" for "Luck Be a Lady" at Battle of the Blades
- 2008 Professional Skaters' Association Gustave Lussi Award
- 2006 World Figure Skating Hall of Fame inductee (ceremony March 23, 2006 at Worlds in Calgary)
- 2001 Professional Skaters' Association Gustave Lussi Award
- 2001 Canada's Walk of Fame inductee (ceremony June 1, 2001)
- 2000 Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame
- 1999 ASW Professional Skater of the Year (award presented in Dec. 1998)
- 1998 Jacques Favart Trophy (awarded by ISU)
- 1996 First Canadian featured on Kelloggs Special K Cereal Box
- 1994 You Must Remember This - Winner of 5 Gemini Awards
- 1994 Canadian Sports Hall of Fame inductee
- 1994 Canadian Flag Bearer at the 1994 Winter Olympics
- 1993 Sports Federation of Canada - Top Male Athlete
- 1991 Sports Federation of Canada - Top Male Athlete
- 1991 Lionel Conacher Award - the Canadian Press Male Athlete of the
Year
- 1990 Lou Marsh Award - Canada's Outstanding Athlete
- 1990 Lionel Conacher Award - the Canadian Press Male Athlete of the
Year
- 1990 Recipient of the "Order of Canada," the
country's most prestigious civilian award
- 1990 Sports Federation of Canada - Top Male Athlete
- Off-ice activities:
- Choreographer (technically, this is on-ice):
Very incomplete list
- Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Han Yan's 2014-2015 exhibition
- Aerobics Class Mix - Javier Fernandez's 2012-2014 exhibition
- Hello, I Love You (Adam Freeland Fabric Mix) - Yuzuru Hanyu's 2012 exhibition
- Hello, Goodbye/Safety Dance from Glee - Takahiko Kozuka's 2010-2011 exhibition (co-choreographed with Roberto Campanella)
- Always Look on the Bright Side of Life - Tomas Verner's 2009-2010 exhibition
- Mix from Bazaar Istanbul Album - Tugba Karademir's 2009-2010 SP
- "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay - Patrick Chan's 2009 exhibition
- Ratatouille soundtrack - Tugba Karademir's 2008-09 LP
- "Samba Hop" by Hernani Raposo - Kevin Alves' 2008-09, 2009-2010 SP (co-choreographer?)
- "Come on Baby" by Joe Satriani - Vaughn Chipeur's 2008-09 SP (worked on footwork and finishing touches of program choreographed by Gary Beacom)
- "Night on Bald Mountain" by Mussorgsky - Brandon Mroz's 2007-08 SP
- "Treat" by Carlos Santana - Jeremy Abbott's 2007-08 SP
- Ocean's Thirteen OST - Tugba Karademir's 2007-08, 2008-09 SP
- All For You - Brian Joubert's 2007-08 SP
- Unknown by Body Rockers - Alissa Czisny's 2007-08 exhibition
- "Clocks" by Coldplay - Brian Joubert's 2007-08 exhibition
- Music from "The Last Temptation of Christ" soundtrack - Evan Lysacek 2006-2007 SP
- Music from Metallica and Romeo & Juliet - Brian Joubert 2006-07 LP, 2007-08 LP
- Music from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and "Summertime" - Marc-Andre Craig 2006-2007 LP (worked with Brian Orser on the footwork for the program)
- Don Quixote - Alissa Czisny 2006-2007 show program
- Crabbuckit from K-OS - Celebration on Ice 2005 group number with Kurt, Brian Orser, Elvis Stojko, and Shawn Sawyer
- Winter by Vivaldi - Carolina Kostner's 2005-2006 LP (w/ Lori Nichol)
- Wine Safari - Yuka Sato (2005-2006 program)
- Piano Concerto No 1 and 3 by Sergei Prokofiev - Carolina Kostner's 2004-2005 LP
- Techno version of Warsaw Concert - Takeshi Honda's 2004-2005 SP
- Kill Bill 2 - Vaughn Chipeur's 2004-2005 LP
- Leyenda (Vanessa Mae) - Takeshi Honda's 2002-2003 SP
- Think (Aretha Franklin) - Lucinda Ruh 2001-2002 program
- Jalousie - Sale & Pelletier's 2001-2002 SP (worked with Lea Ann
Miller on the comic touches of the choreography)
- American Tribute - Tara Lipinski 2001-2002 program (footwork
sequence)
- Sin Wagon (Dixie Chicks) - SOI 2000-2001 group number
- Commentator:
- 1994 Gold Championships (NBC)
- 1994 Worlds (NBC)
- 1994 Fox Rock 'n Roll Skating Championships (FOX)
- 1995 Fox Rock 'n Roll Skating Championships (FOX) (backstage interviewer)
- 2005 Campbell's International Figure Skating Classic (ABC)
- 2005 Skate America (ESPN)
- 2005 Marshalls U.S. Figure Skating Showcase (ABC) (on-ice interviewer/introductions, also skated to "Brickhouse")
- 2006 U.S. Nationals (ABC/ESPN)
- 2006 Olympics prime-time men's figure skating analyst (CBC)
- 2006 Worlds (ESPN)
- 2006 Skate America (ABC/ESPN)
- 2006 Marshall's US Figure Skating Showcase (ABC)
- 2007 U.S. National Championships (ABC/ESPN)
- 2007 World Championships (ESPN)
- 2007 Skate Canada (CBC)
- 2008 Canadian National Championships (CBC)
- 2008 World Championships (CBC)
- 2008 Skate America (CBC)
- 2008 Skate Canada (CBC)
- 2008 Cup of China (CBC)
- 2008 Trophee Eric Bombard (CBC)
- 2008 Grand Prix Final (CBC)
- 2009 Canadian Championships (CBC)
- 2009 World Championships (CBC)
- 2009 Trophee Eric Bombard (CBC)
- 2009 Cup of Russia (CBC)
- 2009 Grand Prix of Japan (CBC)
- 2009 Skate America (CBC)
- 2009 Skate Canada (CBC)
- 2009 Grand Prix Final (CBC)
- 2010 Canadian Championships (CBC)
- 2010 World Championships (CBC)
- 2010-2011 Season Grand Prix events and Worlds (CBC)
- 2011-2012 Season Grand Prix events and Worlds (CBC)
- 2012-2013 Season Grand Prix events and Worlds (CBC)
- 2013-2014 Season Grand Prix events and Worlds (CBC)
- 2014 Winter Olympics (CBC)
- 2014-2015 Season Events (CBC)
- 2015-2016 Season Events (CBC)
- 2016-2017 Season Events (CBC)
- 2017-2018 Season Events (CBC)
- 2018 Winter Olympics (CBC)
- 2018-2019 Season Events (CBC)
- 2019-2020 Season Events (CBC)
- 2020-2021 Season Events (CBC)
- 2021-2022 Season Events (CBC)
- 2022 Winter Olympics (CBC)
- Co-host, Battle of the Blades (2009, 2010, 2011)
- Judge, Battle of the Blades (2013, 2019)
- Elite Battle Expert, Battle of the Blades (2020)
- Actor starring as Peter Pan, "Peter Pan, the Family Musical that's Silly, Very Silly!" (late Nov 2007 - early Jan 2008)
- Team Visa Mentor for athletes training for the 2006 Torino Olympics
- Skating Consultant, The Granite Club
- Author, A is for Axel: An Ice Skating Alphabet and Kurt Browning: Forcing the Edge (with Neil Stevens)
- Regular host, Biography Channel (Canada). (Debut: Apr. 14-18, 2003)
- Creator and sponsor, Kurt Browning Junior Skating Awards, awarded annually to the Novice Men's Champion, Novice Ladies Champion, Junior Pair Champions, and Junior Dance Champions. Additional awards may also be granted.
- Honorary Campaign Chair, Muscular Dystrophy Association of
Canada
(Co-hosted Muscular Dystrophy Telethon 1993, 1994, 1995)
- Host of Canada's Walk of Fame Tribute Gala (2000, 2002, 2008)
- 1991 Honorary Captain of the Edmonton Oilers
- Spokesperson Riedell
Skates, AOL Canada, Ultra Wheels, Pedigree Pet Adoption Campaign, My Organic Baby, Petro-Canada Canadian Athlete Family Program.
- On-Ice Appearances
- Off-Ice Appearances
- Print Media (books and magazines)
- Competitive Record
- Memory Lane (detailed review of Kurt's childhood and eligible career)
I'd like to thank everyone who's contributed
information to this profile and its subpages. Thanks to everyone on
the Kurt List, particularly Kirsten and Gerry for their transcripts,
listings of events, media, etc. Also, thanks to all the contributors
to the now-defunct Kurt Klub and its webmaster, Christie in PA, for
allowing me to use the content from that site. I've no doubt missed
someone in these acknowledgments, and I apologize if I didn't mention
someone who should have been mentioned. Thanks for your help!
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