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Interview with Kurt Browning Part 2

Source: The Kurt Files
Date: January 1, 2010
Author: Tina Tyan

This is part two of the Kurt Files' two-part interview with Kurt Browning. Part one, in which Kurt discusses Improv-Ice and Battle of the Blades, can be found here.

Random questions:

Outside of his continuing to perform in shows, and his involvement with Battle of the Blades, Kurt Browning has a lot of other balls in the air. He is heavily involved in the new SkateBuzz website, which hosts an extensive collection of video clips that feature Kurt backstage at events, interviewing other skaters, demonstrating moves, and sharing his "home videos". For the last several years, he has choreographed programs for a number of eligible skaters, and is one of CBC's primary figure skater commentators. In addition to questions about these activities, Kurt also kindly answered a slew of random questions, as well as questions submitted by fans on the Kurt List mailing list.

Q: The Skatebuzz website recently launched with a lot of content with you in it. What is your role with the site?

I am one of the hosts for the website. It is fun and casual and gets down to the little things that make skating fun. It is Skate Canada's way of trying to put something out there that is less formal and more fan based.

Q: In the last few years, you seemed poised to take over the choreography world, choreographing for skaters like Evan Lysacek, Carolina Kostner, and Alissa Czisny. In particular, previous interviews made it sound like you were going to work with Brian Joubert through the 2010 Olympics. Why did you back off of it this year, and what happened with Joubert?

I had to put choreography for other people on the back burner, as they say. It was taking so much of my time and I was not doing my own training. I also could not follow up enough for the athletes. It was not fair to them and not good for my skating either. I was having knee trouble and not taking care of myself...not good. It had to go.

Joubert... well he was to come and work with me, but I had jury duty so I could not promise I would be available when he wanted to work so he went elsewhere. He was to join up with me later to do the short, but he neither showed up or called or emailed. I waited for some sort of word until I finally called out to him, but heard nothing for at least a week, so I emailed again and got the email back saying that work had gone so smoothly with his new choreographer that they just worked on a new short together as well. This is all fine, and it is his career, and I was telling him he needed to expand how many choreographers he was working with and not use just me, and so I would have been fine with all that, except he made it clear he was coming back for the short and I was clearing my schedule for the expected visit. How can a skater just get a solo done by another person and not even call to let me know I have no idea.

Q: Are you excited about the Olympics in Canada?

Calgary did great things for the country and for the City of Calgary. I hope for the same in Vancouver. I believe Team Canada has one of the best chances ever to compete well in our own country.

Q: What do you see as your strongest skating skill, and what is your weakest?

Skating skill I enjoy about my skating is looking like I want to be out there and making the audience know that I remember they are there and that I am doing my best to give them a good show. That is a strength of mine that does not need the triple axel back flip combo to get across and any skater can have this skill if they want it. Weaknessesss, besides spelling I would say it is extension and ease of upper body movement. But, at this point in my career I must admit that what I have I have and what I don't I don't....

Q: You're well known as a footwork skater, but when you were an amateur/eligible, footwork didn't count as much like it does today. Why did you become so proficient at it?

I must admit that some of the interest I took in footwork is because of how much I enjoyed watching Scott do his when he performed. I thought if it entertained me then I would try to make it important as well? I will not deny that he had an influence on me to be sure.

Fan Questions:

Q: If your life had a soundtrack, what song/music would be playing now?
Soundtrack to the Fast and the Furious.. not because of the music but because of the title. I can barely keep up to my schedule.

Q: If you could interview your fans, what would you ask them (we'll answer!)?
If I interviewed my fans my first question would be something like this.... What is it about skating that keeps you coming back for more?

Q: Any chance of you on Dancing with the Stars?
Dancing with the stars... maybe in Canada but no I don't think so.

Q: What is the coolest thing you've been able to do because you're "Kurt Browning"?
Coolest thing that I did was get to introduce my Mom to the Queen. This made her very very very happy and proud.

Q: What is the strangest fan confrontation you have ever had?
Strangest fan situation, there have been not too many of these. I got a ride home on the back of a Harley Davidson once.

Q: What is the funniest thing that has happened while on tour with Stars on Ice or some other show?
Funny things happen all the time, but I remember when we were standing in a circle during Stars and they would announce our names as we left the circle to skate out into our pools of light with lots of speed. Josee fell, then Brian slipped down and Scooter fell as well while stopping, if I remember, so I simply crawled to my spotlight. it seemed the safest thing to do. I also remember one show where everyone in the cast, or at least one person of each team, had taken a tumble in the same show but Katarina. She was reminding us all in the tunnel before closing number that she had been the only one who had NOT fallen, I simply said "not yet" and she got all ( in a fun way ) upset with me for saying that. Of course she fell twice in the finale and was mad at me for a few days.. That was funny.

Q: What do you see as your most significant contribution(s) to the sport thus far?
My contribution to the sport is an easy one to answer... blue shiny pants circa 1995.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish in figure skating in the future?
In the future I hope to continue to enjoy skating both as a skater and as a fan of the sport.

Q: If money and time were unlimited what kinds of projects would you implement? Shows? Competitions? Turning ESPN into the All Figure Skating All The Time Network (and you're gonna like it), AFSATTN.
I would like to see skating competitions exist that were fun based... this might be something I could give to the sport. I always thought the pro events offered fantastic skating with a competitive edge but with skaters who looked as though they were enjoying themselves.

Q: You've already written a children's book and performed on stage -- any other non-skating projects in the works?
No other non skating events in the works right now.

Q: Your fans miss you and want to see you skate much, much more. Can you please make this happen?
I am skating as much as I can right now.

Q: Did/do you have any motivations that stood/stand out in both your amateur and professional career?
Motivations???? Well I was motivated as an amateur by the simple fact that if I did not win then I had to watch someone else win... and that was very motivating for me.

Q: Do you have any strange/unusual phobias or obsessions?
I have no phobias or obsessssssssssionsssssssssssss. Welllll maybe the letter s and ssssometimesss the llllletter l

Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
My superpower would be to be able to steal powers from everybody else... but they can keep their power cause that would not be nice.

Q: Do you still play hockey?
I do not play hockey anymore, pick up sometimes but not on a team.