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Inside Edge (1994)
written by Christie
Inside Edge is an in-depth look at the Skate the Nation tour during its first year (1994). Skate the Nation is an extension of the US and Canadian Stars on Ice tour. This tour represented the best of Canadian Skaters ... Professional and Amateur. Those skaters were: Kurt Browning, Brian Orser, Michael Slipchuk, Toller Cranston, Josee Chouinard, Susan Humphreys, Christine (Tuffy) Huff and Doug Ladret, Jamie Sale' and Jason Turner, Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz. What a line up!!
The video starts with the cast rehearsing in Victora, British Columbia. They were given only 72 hours to learn the opening and closing group numbers. The first day was a grueling 7 hours on the ice working with choreographers Lee Ann Miller and Michael Seibert. Many of the amateur skaters had to skate in spotlights for the first time. There are many interviews with the skaters throughout this video. In this segment, the amateurs talk about the transition to show skating vs. full-light skating.
Opening night is at Memorial Arena in Victoria, BC. You see Kurt and the other guys putting make up on backstage. Kurt looks at the camera and says, "That's right ... tough guys wear make up." They show much of the opening number with Kurt sporting black pants, black turtle neck and a red sports jacket. You get to see Kurt's back flip during the opening number ... one of the last times :-(
Next stop ... Kamloops. While the rest of the skaters take the plane ... Kurt, Doug Ladret and Michael Slipchuk take the bus so they can fit in a round of golf before the show. They've learned from being on tour to manage their time. Toller Cranston joins the tour at this point. He jokes (I think ;-) as he says, "Nobody left the show last night because I wasn't there?" Kurt then chimes in explaining that he did Toller's number ... and except for the chartes(?) and the split jumps ... it was better. Amazingly, Toller learns the opening and closing numbers in one practice. This segment ends with Kurt signing autographs as he loads the bus for the next stop ...... Red Deer, Alberta.
Alberta is home to Jamie, Jason, Michael, Susan and Kurt. As Slipchuk gets off the bus (after a long drive) he says, "I feel like I've been on the bus forever!" To which Kurt walks by and says, "You were ... I was with you." This segment shows Kurt signing autographs at Eaton's Center ... and the line is as long as the eye can see. The narrator explains that Kurt has 2 autographs sessions at each stop because of his popularity ... One in the afternoon ... and one after the show. But even at that, he can't get to everyone that has stood in line for him. During the Red Deer show, we get to see about 1/2 of Kurt's Program, "Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me." Unlike the Stars on Ice tour where he wears a red shirt and red pants, he wears a black shirt and black pants ... I think its the same outfit he wears in "St. Louis Blues"... down to the belt. As Kurt boards the bus to head to the next stop, a young girl about 11 or 12 screams for Kurt asking him for a hug. To her delight, he reaches out his arms and gives her one. I couldn't hear what he said, but the girl says, "Sorry" and Kurt replies, "Just kidding ... just kidding!" On the bus you see Kurt grabbing a slice of pizza which is "his favourite" .... pineapple, ham and cheese ... that's what we refer to as Hawaiian pizza :-)
The bus is equipped with triple decker "bunks" with curtains ... 3 on each side. The next morning, the camera catches a shot of Kurt just as he's waking up. He sleepily looks into the camera and says, "You look like a camera this morning." :-)
In this next segment Kurt is interviewed. He explains, "Tour life is fast ... it's not Tuesday ... It's Red Deer ... You have to be a team." The next day for them is a "non show day". The skaters relax by going bowling. Kurt bowls and gets a spare to which he says, "Spare me ... again!".
During the London show segment, they interview Toller Cranston. He laments how skaters today want to be Bon Jovi. Josee then says, "The audience sees the pioneer, which is Toller; Then they see a very professional skater like Brian; and then they see the result in Kurt." During this segment, you get to see 1/2 of Kurt's routine to Blues Berry Hill by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (black jeans, studded black shirt and black cowboy hat). He intentionally falls into the audience. I've seen Kurt do this program during the Stars on Ice tour where he ends the program with a back flip .. but there was no back flip at this performance.
In the middle of the tour, Kurt flies to Paris, France, for a competition (Miko Masters?). He performs Blues Berry Hill for his artistic program and All Alone for his technical program. He comes away with a silver medal and flies back to Canada for the next stop. At this point, you get to see 1/2 of his "All Alone" number which he performs in a white short sleeve T-shirt and his med/light blue pants. He explains that since Lillehammer, he's only had 3 days off in 3 months and he's proud that he made it through the toughest schedule that he's ever had.
This is a great video to purchase if you want to see what goes on "behind the scenes" of tour life. As many of the skaters explain in their interviews ... it's not as "fun and glamorous" as most would expect. It's a lot of work ... and a little lonely being away from your loved ones for so long. Each arena is a different size .. and the quality of the ice is different. Being on tour really is the test of a true professional.
Christie in PA
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