Kurt Browning started skating at three years
old when his Dad made an outdoor "skating rink" by flooding the ground
with a hose and letting it freeze. The Caroline Arena was built when Kurt
was 6 years old...that's when he made his figure skating debut...in a skunk
costume! :)
Kurt really intended on being a hockey player,
and he started figure skating as a way to get more ice time. Lucky for
us! He went on to become a four time Canadian Champion and four time
World Champion.
Other highlights of Kurt Browning's amateur career include being a
three time Canadian Olympic Team Member, and Kurt was the first person
to land a quadruple jump (toe loop) in competition (1988 Worlds, Budapest,
Hungary). He was also the first to land a triple salchow-triple loop combination
in competition (1990 Nations Cup, Germany), and the first to land three
triple-triple jump combinations in a freeskate program: triple axel-triple
toe loop, triple flip-triple toe, triple salchow-triple loop (1991 Worlds,
Munich, Germany).
Kurt Browning retired from amateur competition after
the 1994 Winter Olympics, and has enjoyed a very successful professional
career. He has gone on to tour with Stars on Ice, and has become even more
popular in the USA. His professional competitive achievements include three
time World Professional Champion, four time
Canadian Professional Champion as well as two time US Professional Champion! Kurt also
tours currently with Stars on Ice in the US and Canada.
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FAQ:
 Where was Kurt born
and when did he start skating?
Kurt was born in
a very rural part of Alberta called Caroline. He started skating at age
three when his Dad, Dewey, flooded a patch of ground with a hose and let
it freeze. Kurt used that as a skating rink until the Caroline Arena was
built when he was six years old. It was then that Kurt made his skating
debut in an ice carnival....dressed as a skunk! Aawwww...
Kurt started figure skating as a way to get more ice time. He really
wanted to be a hockey player.
Tell me about Kurt's
family.
Kurt has two
older siblings: his brother Wade, and his sister Dena. His brother and
sister have their own families now, so Kurt has neices and a nephew to
play with. ;) Wade and Dena are quite a bit older than Kurt, so when
it came time for Kurt to really concentrate on his career, his brother
and sister were already on their own. Having only Kurt to worry about,
his parents, Dewey and Neva, were able to help Kurt considerably.
Who is Kurt's wife?
Kurt met Sonia Rodriguez
in 1991, and they started dating in 1992 when Kurt moved to Toronto. Sonia
is a Principal Dancer in the National Ballet of Canada. She is a beautiful
dancer, and she has performed, along with Brian Orser, in the Duchesnay's "The Planets".
Kurt proposed to Sonia in 1995 in Toronto at the Maple Leaf Gardens
in front of 16,000 people! It happened during Stars on Ice while there was a
break in taping, and Kurt was taking questions from the audience. A child
asked him if he was married...Kurt immediately said, "Where are you, hon?".
He found Sonia in the audience, got down on one knee and proposed. Of course,
she said yes...whew! They were married on June 30,1996 at the Royal Canadian
Yacht Club in Toronto.
Who is "Skate God for
Life"?
It depends who you
ask. ;) Actually, that's a nickname that Scott Hamilton and Kurt
call eachother.
Kurt is in the Guiness Book
of World Records for landing the first quadruple jump in competition. Where and when did
he land it?
Yes, Kurt landed the first
quadruple jump in compeititon at the 1988 Worlds in Budapest, Germany.
It was a quadruple toe loop. To celebrate the 10th anniversary, Kurt landed
a Quad at an SOI show in Fort Wayne, Indiana, during the "Fun and Games"
segment. He also landed a Quad during a Stars on Ice show in Toronto just a few years ago! Pretty
impressive for a 32 year old! BTW--Kurt's name appears in the Guiness Book
of World Records as the first person to land a quadruple toe loop!
Kurt
was also the first to land a triple-triple jump combination in competition
(triple salchow-triple loop at the 1990 Nations Cup, Germany), AND the
first to land three triple-triple jump combinations in a freeskate program
(3 axel-3 toe loop, 3 flip-3toe loop, 3 Salchow-3 loop at the '91 Worlds
in Munich, Germany).
Has Kurt written an
autobiography? Is he going to write a sequel?
Kurt wrote an autobiography
in 1991 called "Kurt: Forcing the Edge". There are two editions. The first
is a hard cover book that was published prior to the Albertville Olympics.
The second edition is a paperback book. It was published in 1992, and has
four more chapters which cover Albertville and the '92 Worlds. This
book is currently out of print, but can be obtained through some Canadian
bookstores. Kurt was asked if he would write a sequel to his autobiography.
He said that he had been approached about it, but turned them down. He
said he was "too chicken"! Oh well, maybe he'll change his mind.
Where can I find out
about Kurt's competitive record?
Follow
this link to view Kurt's amateur and pro
competitive records.
There, you can read all about his competitions, programs, choreographers,
and placements, as well and TV and video accomplishments, and awards and honours too!
Other than skating,
has Kurt ever done any other television work?
Yes, Kurt has done some commentary for skating events....even
events that he was skating in! He's pretty good at it, too. He's got the
personality for it, especially the "behind the scenes" stuff. He's done
commentary for '94 Worlds (NBC), The Gold Championships,
and Fox Rock N' Roll Championships.
Kurt has appeared in televsion shows such as Sesame Park and
Ready
or Not, both Canadian children's shows. He's also hosted Canada
Day along with Josee Chouinard where he did some dancing without his
skates! AND...not only was he the Honorary National Chairman, but he also
hosted the Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. Whatta guy!
Kurt appeared in a sequence
of commercials for TARGET
along with Scott Hamilton and Katia Gordeeva to promote their Snowden television
special. Most recently, Kurt appeared in an AOL Canada commerical with his dog, Leah. You can read about Kurt's TV specials and videos here.
Where can I write to
Kurt?
You can write to Kurt at
this address:
Kurt Browning
c/o Kevin Albrecht
IMG Canada
175 Bloor Street E.
Suite 400, South Tower
Toronto, ON M4W 3R8
Canada
What awards has Kurt won?
Kurt has won many awards and honours.
over the years. Kurt has been honoured with a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame! (As well as hosting the even
a couple of times!) Most recently, Kurt has received the 2001 Professional Skaters' Association Gustave Lussi Award.
Read about Kurt's other awards and honors here.
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