|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
