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Celebrating 50 years: the Royal Glenora presents 'Ice Memories'
| Source: |
West Edmonton Local |
| Date: |
May 21, 2011 |
| Author: |
Trevor Robb |
EDMONTON — Over 600 spectators filled the Royal Glenora Club on Friday
to a catch a glimpse of home-town figure skating hero Kurt Browning,
as the Merlin Benevolent Society presents 'Ice Memories'.
The three-day figure skating show is part of the club' s 50th
anniversary celebration. 'Ice Memories' is a figure skating show made
up of 125 skaters and consists of several, smaller versions of past
shows previously put on by Artistic Director and Show Producer Jan
Ullmark:
- Act One – Katz on Ice
- Act Two – Hooked on Ice
- Act Three – Oz on Wicked Ice
- Act Four – Vegas Baby
- Act Five – Phantom of the Ice
- Act Six - Starlight on Ice
- Act Seven – Les Mis' Ice
A handful of Olympic and World Champion skaters are taking part in the
event, all of which spent the beginning of their careers training at
the Royal Glenora Skating Centre:
- Kurt Browning – four time World Champion, four time Canadian
Champion, and three time Olympic team member.
- Michael Slipchuk – 1986 Canadian Junior Mens Champion, 1992
Canadian Mens Champion, five time World Team member and 1992 Olympic
Team member.
- Anabelle Langlois and Cody Hay – 2008 Canadian Pairs Champions,
three time World team members, and members of the 2010 Olympic team.
- Jamie Salé and David Pelletier – 2002 Olympic Gold Medalists,
2001 World Gold Medalists, and three time Canadian Champions.
- Susan (Humphreys) St.Martin – Five time medalist at the Canadian
Championships, 1994 Olympic team member and 1997 Canadian Champion.
- Anissette (Torp-Lind) Gent – 1988-94 Danish National Champion and
1992 Winter Olympic team member.
However one piece or the puzzle was missing. Kristi Yamaguchi was
unable to attend the event but was able to make a presence via a taped
video message that was played to the crowd before the show
began.
Kurt Browning
For most, it was like a homecoming party. For Kurt Browning this is
the 21st year in a row he has been skating for 'Stars on Ice'. Along
the way he has been able to skate with many accomplished skaters,
including life-long friend and Olympic gold-medalist, Jamie Salé, whom
he's known since he was only eight years old.
“We're family. Jamie and David (Pelletier) are big stars, they're
Olympians, they're our champions, they're iconic heroes but they're
just Jamie and David to me,” said Browning in a one-on-one interview
with the West Edmonton Local.
Kurt met his long-time coach Michael Jiranek at the Royal Glenora Club
at the age of 13. Jiranek was one of several other coaches and
choreographers helping out with the 'Ice Memories' show. Kurt admits
that while the caliber of skating within the sport is nearly the same
as it was in his day, the sport of figure skating, namely the
structure, has evolved.
“In my day you had so much more diversity and ability to manipulate
your program. Now the skaters are pigeon-holed, they're told what to
do,” said Browning. “Skaters now have to have a plan and stick to it
and if they fall off that plan, the points are just falling off. It's
a much harder sport than it was for me,” said Browning.
Despite his numerous accomplishments in competitive skating, Browning
still gets nervous and anxious before a show.
“As soon as you don't get a little bit nervous, than you don't care,”
said Browning.
Sale and Pelletier
Now removed from competitive skating, Salé and Pelletier have been
skating with the Stars on Ice show for nine years. Salé participated
in CBC's 'Battle of the Blades' twice, winning the show her first time
with former Edmonton Oiler Craig Simpson and skating the second show
with former Calgary Flames star, Theoren Fleury.
For Pelletier, shows like 'Ice Memories' bring him back to the initial
reason why he begun skating in the first place.
“Whether its Katz, Oz or Les Mis, sometimes when you do something so
many times -we've done over 600 shows in the last nine years – you
kind of forget why you're doing it sometimes, it becomes routine,”
said Pelletier. “What the best part of these shows is you get to go
back to your roots and see the excitement in the kids' face and it
kind of reminds you where you started and why you do it.”
A 'Dress Rehearsal' was put on Thursday night with all tickets being
donated to a host of local charities. 'Ice Memories' will continue
this weekend with shows on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and
again on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $25.
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