Catching up with Kurt Browning - The Full Interview (Pt. 3)

Kurt the Skater

What's one musical style you don't think you'd ever skate to?

<long pause> Well, I don't really think that I do the classical stuff great. I mean, I've done it, and I've done it fairly well, but I don't think it's my forte, obviously.

You've skated that before, it doesn't count. A musical style you wouldn't do...

Oh! Wouldn't do. Wouldn't do?

Is there such a thing?

No, I don't think so. I skated to children's nursery rhymes on coconut drums. I mean, I'll try anything, basically.

How do you keep things fresh each year, for yourself and for your audience?

Well, to a certain limit, you don't. You know, like a marriage, you're, "good morning, it's me again." You know? You just have to be honest, I guess. It's what I try to do. It's like, I honestly believe that this is a good choice of music, and I will honestly try to sell it to you, and make you glad that you came to the rink. That's it! That's what keeps it going for me. *I* want to be here. I want *you* to also want to be here. And if it starts with me, then maybe you'll reciprocate as a people who paid money to see me skate. It's that simple. I choose music that makes me happy. I did a 5 minute 35 second long program because it's something I've been wanting to do for a long time, and it was a challenge. Would people like it, would it flop, would it fly? It was a challenge! I do a lot of my own choreography, so it comes from me. This year I did so much of my choreography that next year, if I'm still skating, whatever I'm doing, I probably will get more people to work with, so that I don't do two years in a row that looks all like I did my own stuff, which I don't think is smart.

So mix it up a little?

Mix it up. But this year, I had things that I wanted to do, and they kept handing me music, and I kept going, "I kind of see it, so I'll just do it." And I didn't have a lot of time. I asked choreographers and they couldn't come, and it didn't work, and I just ended up doing a lot of my own work. But I enjoy it. I sort of did a lot of my own choreography this year as just a little bit of a learning thing, too. But next year, I think I would go back and get Roberto, or... There's a new dancer that I want to work with. A choreographer. I've talked to Sonia about it, and I've talked to her about it. I think that next year, I'm going to ask her to do a program for me. So, get ready because I might look a lot different. I think it'll be a challenge, a real challenge.

I would think that dance translated to ice - the movement, seems like it's a little bit of a challenge. It's not the same thing.

A couple of times I've worked with dancers who are doing my choreography. We step off the ice with shoes on. We start the program, got an idea, and a theme, and a style, a movement. We step on the ice and I'm like, I can't do it! I looked better with my skates off in front of the mirror and I'm like "yeah, this is going to be great!" and I get my skates on and I'm like <screws up face>. But if I did it this way, my skate will help me, instead of hinder me. So I don't do that any more. Just get on the ice and you know what, let's do it. 'Cause you get excited about something and all of a sudden you get on the ice and you feel awkward. So it was shocking to me.

How are you adjusting to the transition from full-time touring? You're doing more choreography, more commentating, more behind-the-scenes type stuff..

Transition? This is my third or fourth year of not touring fulltime. I didn't just stop. I did 17 cities on that tour, and then Jean-Michel's tour started up, so I'm doing 17 cities with him. And I'm like, wait a minute, I quit touring and I'm only doing 15 less shows than I was doing last year! So it's been really slow, so the transition's been easy. It was shocking, because it was like, how the hell did I get this many programs?

You're still doing a few Stars on Ice shows this year.

Six. I asked for four, they made me do six. [Author's note: Kurt is now appearing in ten Stars on Ice shows]

I think you have the least cities of any guest star.

Yeah, I wasn't going to do any. And then, I was considering not doing Jean-Michel's tour, which sort of freed up some time. Then I saw when they wanted me to skate, and it meant doing more shows, doing straight to Japan and then straight to Halifax. And I'm going, no. I promised myself and my family that I wouldn't put events back to back anymore. I would always go home. So I said, I'll do four cities, and that's it. And they came back... you know, Smuckers has been super to me, and they were like, Cleveland is this date, and can you please do it, because we're going to have a big Smuckers dinner and we'd like you to give a speech or something like that. And I'm like, Smuckers is great, so I will break my own rules to do something for Smuckers. It's cool, and it's worth it, and it's important. You know, they support skating *so* much. I will do something like that for them, <snaps> like that.

Do you miss anything about touring regularly?

Well, my ping pong's not as good as it used to be. That's true. You know what I miss, I miss my first four years of touring, not the last four. I miss my first four years of touring with Doug Ladret and Scott and Paul Wylie and Peter Carruthers and those guys. And I miss the beer in the lobby with the fajitas <laughs> because we would not travel the night of the show. The airplane was so much fun. It was like, pinch me, I'm dreaming, every night. I miss those years. They were new and fresh, and we were all young. Trying triple axel every night. It was exciting. And Sandra Bezic. And rock 'n roll, Rolling Stones, Beatles, it was just *so* great. Like mini-rockstars. It was fun. I miss those days. I miss the camaraderie we had.

I guess it sort of broke up after some of the cast started leaving.

It happens. Everything has a lifespan.

You've been involved in a few prominent rivalries - you and Victor, you and Elvis, you and Brian - but you guys always seem to be friendly. I was just wondering how it was balancing the whole competitive "this is your primary rival" with friendliness?

Well, Victor and I didn't talk much when we competed. But there was never any uncomfortableness. I remember once for some reason we were alone going to a competition together on the bus. Alone! No coaches, no nothing, it was just him and me. And it was kind of weird. I was like, should I say something to him? And I did, I think I turned over my shoulder and I looked at him. I said something that made him laugh. Respect! And I think that if you're comfortable with yourself it's really easy to respect your competitors. As soon as you're not comfortable with yourself then you start throwing up walls or you're uncomfortable. Elvis is very comfortable with himself. Brian Boitano, super comfortable. And Victor as well. So we have three guys who were my rivals, but they were all so secure with themselves that they had nothing to worry about. They're going to go, they're going to do their stuff, they're going to win or they're going to lose. And we all respected each other. Elvis gives me the most respect of any skater younger than I am, than I've ever gotten from anybody. It wasn't that he didn't give it to me, but it's like, after he was world champion many times that he walked up to me and said, 'I realize now how much you helped me.' It was nice, it was really nice. I didn't know that I needed to hear it, but when I did hear it, I was like, wow, that was just wonderful. And it felt great. It really felt good.

So, rivalries have been good. Really didn't like it when Elvis beat me in my hometown, but I kind of let him. Other than that, it's been ok.

Do you have any advice for young skaters who have rivalries of their own?

Just use..I mean I used, Elvis not so much, Brian just sort of happened. You know, that's not a rivalry that comes from either one of us, it's just "ok, here we go again!" <laughs> But the only guy that I ever trained, you know like in the Rocky movies, when he was <dramatic voice> "thinking of his competitor", was Victor. You know, I would be doing figures, quiet at 11:30 at night at the rink alone, and I'd be wondering, with time change, by the Black Sea, what was Victor doing, *right* now. And I would think about him often, and he inspired me. I knew that I had to be this good to beat him, because he was that good, and I was a much better skater because of him.

I've read that you don't want to write another autobiography because you think your life is too happy...

Well I said that, and it sounded stupid when I read it! I made a joke, and it came across like I was serious, you know? So anyways, I was not happy about that quote, but no I don't want to write another book.

Well, there would be people interested in reading it...

I don't have the memory for it. I do not have the capacity to write this book. I just don't remember things. Scott Hamilton could write it. Brian Boitano could write it. I just...I flit through life, candidly, and I just don't remember moments. It's terrible. But it's just the way I am! I just sort of live in the moment and then I move on.

What's the oldest program of yours that you could skate to?

Like, still pull back? That's a good question. I know I want to do Serenade to Sonia again. Whether I will or not... I'd like to do Nyah again. But the oldest would be Singing in the Rain. I mean, if there was ever something that was reminiscent of a last skate, I always thought it would be nice if it was Singing in the Rain, so I guess that's the oldest one I would bring back. That's pretty old.

Someone was wondering if you could skate Tequila again. If someone turned on the music, would you actually remember it?

Well, there were only three moves in it. So, probably I could remember it. Kristi Yamaguchi can remember even the opening number from Stars on Ice in '96. And I can't remember..I don't remember my programs *at all*. I don't remember the intricacies of my programs, I really don't. I'm awful.

So if you hear the music, it doesn't bring it back at all?

Not really. Not that much. I need to take a tape on the ice, and watch myself, and get it back into my body. It's such a pain. And I do choreography for people, and then they come back and I watch and I go, well that's cool. Oh wait a minute, oh yeah, we made that up. Sandra Bezic would be like <exasperated sigh> "ok it's like this and that." She would have to remember the steps for me.

So you just use videotapes a lot?

I have to. I just...I react to the music. It's not premeditated. And yet the steps are premeditated but it doesn't feel like it comes across that way. Yes, it's premeditated and the turn is this, and I know that I want to go left, right, left so that I can step on my left so I can do the mohawk and do the triple toe loop quickly, so I have to step on the right foot. But still, it doesn't happen that way! I just go, you know. But I don't remember my footwork, I don't remember it. Oh! So frustrating! And it's awful. I'm always going back and looking at stuff.

Speaking of Singing in the Rain, everytime anyone asks what your favorite program is, you always say Singing in the Rain.

It's like I was dreaming!

But the question then is, what's your favorite program that you've actually ever skated in front of an audience?

Well, Brickhouse has so many hot moments. I mean, it was winning World Pro, it was the boys vs girls where I skated like I dream I could skate? You know, it was like <whizzing sound> triple axel, <whizzing sound>...it was every move, and it was on the music, and everyone was freaking out, and it was a rock show. So, best program? Not Brickhouse, no! <laughing> Great memories of Brickhouse. Best program?

Favorite program.

Favorite program, that I've skated in front of an audience. I don't have one. I really don't have one. I've done sixty or seventy programs. <thinks> Um, maybe Rag-GIDON is my favorite program, because I completely get lost in it. Completely. And it was physically not that intimidating for me? It was a pleasure, it was just a *pleasure* to perform. And I pulled it out at the World thingy last year in London, and I was sicker than a dog, and I did it because I knew that I could get through that. I barely got through that program, I was so sick. I'm rarely ill or injured..

You seemed to be sick a lot last year!

Last year I was worn out! I got really sick on Stars and I couldn't get through my programs. I almost fainted in the tunnel, once. I fell over and they caught me. I fell on a program, off the ice, and I couldn't get up! I was petrified to do my number every night. I had four shows in a row, or something, and I was stumbling and falling all the way through them. I had three days off, I came back, and I got off the ice after the first day back and I went, "oh so *that's* what it's like to skate!" I don't know what..I think I had a physical breakdown! US Nationals, up late, up early doing the shows. And I lost it. Last year was a hard year. This year's been easy.

Are you conscious of [getting closer to the end of your career]?

Not yet, not terribly.

Because you talk about it a lot these days.

I talk about it because, well...last year it was all anyone could interview me about! The end of your career... It was like oook, fine. No, I'm not really too worried about it. I think I'm going to skate for a long time. I'll just do little things. I want to skate long enough so Gabe can remember. That's kind of a goal. And then, we'll see. We'll see what my wife does. You know, who knows, if she gets hurt, or packs it in on the dancing, we might just pick up the kid and just travel the world. And then you wouldn't see me for a year! <laughs> 'Course, that's the first time I've mentioned that. My wife would be like, what? But I mean, it's just the freedom to go ahead and do that. If you're brave enough.

If you were given a magic wand, and could use it to change any three things about yourself, the past, or the future, what three things would you change?

<immediately> Oh, I would probably have hair. Sure. But then what a waste, eh? What a waste of a wish. World peace..hair..world peace? Hair.

<thinks, exhales> You can't. I mean, I'm so happy with the person that I am. My dad reminds me that I'm doing for a living, getting paid well, to do what I did as a kid. You don't have the right to bitch and complain. You just don't. So I guess I don't want to change anything. I mean, I would have loved my mom to have seen Gabe. Yeah, that'd be cool. My father-in-law would still be around. But that's just..that never ends. Where do you stop? I mean, that's a loaded question. But I wouldn't really change anything. I mean, I don't worry about my Olympic medal. There are twinges of moments where I'm like <looks pained> oh God.

Still?

No, it'll be always! I'll be 80 and there'll be a twinge. But it's just that, it's just a twinge. You know, where you kind of go, "it wouldn't have been that hard to be Olympic Champion. It just wouldn't have been that hard. If you just had your crap together." But you know how many guys can say that? There's so many people in so many sports - there's people all over the planet that were good enough, in the right place, and the right time to be champion. And it never happened for them!

But that's not...I don't want to change anything. It's been a wild ride, you know? Brian Boitano and I had a small conversation after this event was over, in the dressing room alone, about our incredible timing within the sport. How many things have changed within our career, within the sport, and yet somehow we're still... You know, we don't draw the people we used to draw. You know, we're not the superstars we used to be. This sport isn't the mega-monolith it used to be. And yet you know we're still loving it. We're older. He's got an ice pack on his knee. But we're looking at each other going, this is great, man! I mean we're still doing what we love! And we're *so* lucky. And we were just doing that to each other. *How* lucky you and I are. That we found something we love. That we could do it for a living. And that we're still doing it! And we had that little conversation today!

That's cool.

And it was very cool. And that's the kind of guy Brian is. You know, he's just very aware of..he's very gracious. And...no complaints! I wouldn't change a thing with that magic wand, I guess. Especially after that conversation with Brian.