Kurt Browning (born June 18, 1966) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

figure skater, choreographer and commentator. He is the first skater to land a ratified

quadruple jump A quadruple jump or quad is a figure skating jump with at least four (but fewer than five) revolutions. All quadruple jumps have four revolutions, except for the quadruple Axel jump, Axel, which has four and a half revolutions. The quadruple toe ...

in competition. He is a four-time World Champion and Canadian national champion. He competed at three different Olympic Games.

Career

Kurt Browning represented Canada in three Winter Olympics,

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

(finishing 8th overall),

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

(6th) and

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

(5th). Browning won the Canadian novice championships in 1983 and was the Canadian junior champion in 1985. He was the senior champion of Canada four times and came in second place three times. He won the World Championships four times, in

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

, and

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

. He came in second place at Worlds in 1992 due to a severe back injury that "had a particularly negative effect on his Olympic bid". He came in fifth place at the

1994 Winter Olympics The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, were an international winter multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Hav ...

. He earned the privilege of carrying the

Canadian flag The National Flag of Canada (), popularly referred to as The Maple Leaf or l'Unifolié (), consists of a red field with a white square at its centre in the ratio of , in which is featured one stylized, red, 11-pointed maple leaf charged in ...

during the opening ceremonies of the 1994 games in

Lillehammer Lillehammer () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. Some of the more notable villages in the munici ...

, Norway. Browning's other achievements include three Canadian Professional Championships and three World Professional Championships. On March 25, 1988, at the 1988 World Championships in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

, Hungary, Browning landed the first ratified quadruple jump, a toe loop in the competition. This accomplishment is listed in the

Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

. Jozef Sabovčík had previously landed a quad toe loop at the 1986 European Championships which was recognized at the event but then ruled invalid three weeks later. Browning later said, "I remember that there were a few people landing the jump (in practice) long before I did, and by watching them I was inspired to try it myself. After landing it, I certainly expected more skaters to start doing it in competition. I was surprised in the next few years when that really did not happen." Browning is also known for his intricate, fast, often lighthearted footwork. Browning has used percussive pop instrumentals in his programs; for example, he used " Bonzo's Montreux" by

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

in 1993. He interpreted the music by punching his fists and frequently running across the ice. The following season he used "St. Louis Blues," wearing a tight black t-shirt, stretch pants, and belt. He also raised his fists "in a biceps-flexing muscle pose" and included humor by emulating laughter with upper body movements, skated in time to descending saxophone notes and by pointing to the audience during his footwork sequence. As figure skating historian James R. Hines has stated, "Browning is remembered for outstanding interpretative programs". For example, Hines calls Browning's free skating program in 1993, set to music from the film ''

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

'' and choreographed by

Sandra Bezic Sandra Marie Bezic (born April 6, 1956) is a Canadian pair skater, figure skating choreographer, producer, and television commentator. With her brother Val Bezic, she won the Canadian Figure Skating Championships from 1970 to 1974 and placed nin ...

, "is most memorable". He portrayed Rick, Humphrey Bogart's character, and like Bogart, wore a white dinner jacket. One of Browning's iconic programs is "

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds, and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, Rita Moreno a ...

", where he emulates

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

's dancing in the

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

. Choreographed by Bezic and debuted in a

CBC-TV CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 195 ...

special in 1994, this program is still asked to be performed at ice shows after 20 years. He has also appeared in made-for-television films and toured with

Stars on Ice Stars on Ice is a touring figure skating show produced by IMG. It was co-founded in 1986 by Bob Kain, IMG executive, and Scott Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist in men's figure skating. The production is a theatrical show featuring a ...

. As a commentator, Browning has made frequent appearances since turning professional in 1994. He has been a regular

colour commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...

for the

CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...

at major skating events since 2006. Browning appeared in the 2006

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

television program ''

Skating with Celebrities ''Skating with Celebrities'' is an American figure skating talent show that began airing on Fox on January 18, 2006. The show also aired in Australia on Network Ten in early 2006 and in New Zealand in October 2008. The show was the U.S. version of ...

''. Starting in 2009, he was the co-host of

Battle of the Blades ''Battle of the Blades'' (or ''BOTB'' for short) is a Canadian figure skating reality show and competition that airs on CBC Television. The show originally aired for four seasons between 2009 and 2013. It was revived for a fifth season in 2019. ...

. As a choreographer, he has choreographed programs for many figure skaters including: *

Jeremy Abbott Jeremy Abbott (born June 5, 1985) is a former American Figure skating, figure skater. He is the 2008 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, Grand Prix Final champion, a two-time (2007, 2011) Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, Four Conti ...

* Kevin Alves *

Patrick Chan Patrick Lewis Wai–Kuan Chan (born December 31, 1990) is a Canadian former competitive figure skater. He is a Figure skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics – Team event, 2018 Olympic gold medallist in the team event, Figure skating at the 2014 ...

Vaughn Chipeur Vaughn Chipeur (born December 21, 1984) is a former Canadian figure skater and figure-skating coach. He currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta. Chipeur is also the Figure Skate Technical Representative and Brand Ambassador foTRUE Temper Sports ...

* Marc-André Craig * Alissa Czisny * Javier Fernández *

Yuzuru Hanyu is a Japanese figure skater and ice show producer. Universally regarded as one of the greatest figure skaters in history for his well-rounded skills, achievements, innovations, longevity, popularity, and impact on the sport, he started skat ...

Takeshi Honda is a former Japanese competitive figure skater. He is a two-time World bronze medalist (2002, 2003), two-time Four Continents champion (1999, 2003), and six-time Japanese national champion. Personal life Takeshi Honda was born on 23 March 1 ...

Brian Joubert Brian Joubert (; born 20 September 1984) is a French figure skating coach and former competitor. He is the 2007 World champion, a three-time (2004, 2007 & 2009) European champion, and the 2006–07 Grand Prix Final champion. On the domestic le ...

Tuğba Karademir Tuğba Karademir (born on 17 March 1985) is a Turkish former competitive figure skater. She won silver medals at the 2008 International Challenge Cup and 2008 Ondrej Nepela Memorial. She qualified to the free skate at two Winter Olympics (2006 T ...

Carolina Kostner Carolina Kostner (born 8 February 1987) is an Italian figure skater. She is the Figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics, 2014 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2012 World Figure Skating Championships, 2012 World champion, a five-time European Figu ...

Takahiko Kozuka is a former competitive Japanese figure skater. He is the 2011 World silver medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final medalist, a two-time Four Continents medalist, and the 2010–11 Japanese national champion. He is also the 2006 World Junio ...

Tara Lipinski Tara Kristen Lipinski (born June 10, 1982) is an American former competitive figure skater, actress, sports commentator, and documentary film producer. A former competitor in women's singles, she is the 1998 Olympic champion, the 1997 Worl ...

Evan Lysacek Evan Frank Lysacek (; born June 4, 1985) is an American retired figure skater. He is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2009 World champion, a two-time (2005, 2007) Four Continents champion, the 2009 Grand Prix Final champion, and a two-time (20 ...

Brandon Mroz Brandon Mroz (born December 22, 1990) is an American former competitive single skating, figure skater. He is the 2009 United States Figure Skating Championships, U.S. silver medalist and the 2006 & 2007 ISU Junior Grand Prix, Junior Grand Prix Fi ...

Lucinda Ruh Lucinda Martha Ruh (born 13 July 1979) is a Swiss former competitive figure skater. She is the 1996 Swiss national champion and the 1993 junior level national champion. She is known for her outstanding spinning ability and her balletic skating. ...

Jamie Salé Jamie Rae Salé (born April 21, 1977) is a Canadian former competitive pair skater. With her former husband David Pelletier, she is the 2002 Olympic Champion and 2001 World Champion. The Olympic gold medals of Salé and Pelletier were shared ...

David Pelletier David Jacques Pelletier (born November 22, 1974) is a Canadian pairs figure skater. With his former wife Jamie Salé, he was the co-gold medal winner at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. They shared the gold medal with the Russian pair Elena B ...

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* Yan Han He also co-directed and choreographed the 2011–12

tour.

Awards and honors

Browning was awarded with a

Lou Marsh Trophy The Northern Star Award, formerly known as the Lou Marsh Trophy, the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy and Lou Marsh Award, is a trophy awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, with the ...

for top Canadian Athlete (in 1990),

Lionel Conacher Award The Lionel Conacher Award is an annual award given to Canada's male athlete of the year. The sports writers of the Canadian Press (CP) first conducted a poll to determine the nation's top athlete, of either gender, in 1932. Separate polls for the ...

s (1990 and 1991), an American Skating World Professional Skater of the Year Award (in 1998), and a Gustav Lussi Award from the Professional Skaters' Association (in 2001). He was appointed a

Member of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

(CM) in 1989. Browning was inducted into

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canada, it serves as a hall of fame and mu ...

in 1994 and

Skate Canada Hall of Fame The Skate Canada Hall of Fame is the sports hall of fame for figure skating maintained by Skate Canada. It was established in 1990 as the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame. The members are inducted into one of four categories that best represents ...

in 2000. He was honored with a star on

Canada's Walk of Fame Canada's Walk of Fame () in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a series of maple leaf-like stars embedded in 13 de ...

in 2001. He was inducted into

World Figure Skating Hall of Fame The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame serves as a repository for the sport of figure skating. The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame is where the greatest names in the history of the sport are honored. It is located at the Broadmoor Resort in Co ...

in 2006. He received the inaugural ISU Skating Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

Personal life

Browning was born on June 18, 1966, in

Rocky Mountain House Rocky Mountain House is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada. It is approximately west of Red Deer at the confluence of the Clearwater and North Saskatchewan Rivers, and at the crossroads of Highway 22 (Cowboy Trail) and Highway 11 (David ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

. He was raised in

Caroline, Alberta Caroline is a hamlet in central Alberta, Canada that is under the jurisdiction of Clearwater County. It held village status prior to 2025. Caroline is southwest of Red Deer. Summary With 514 residents as of 2024, the hamlet of Caroline is in ...

. He married Sonia Rodriguez, a principal dancer with the

National Ballet of Canada The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca, the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 ...

, on June 30, 1996. Their first son, Gabriel, was born on July 12, 2003, and their second son, Dillon, was born on August 14, 2007. They are now divorced. Browning's home in the Forest Hill area of

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

suffered a fire on August 18, 2010. He married Alissa Czisny on August 11, 2022.

Competitive highlights

References

External links

Kurt Files
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Browning, Kurt 1966 births Skating people from Alberta Canadian male single skaters Northern Star Award winners Olympic figure skaters for Canada Figure skaters at the 1988 Winter Olympics Figure skaters at the 1992 Winter Olympics Figure skaters at the 1994 Winter Olympics Living people Members of the Order of Canada People from Clearwater County, Alberta Figure skating commentators World Figure Skating Championships medalists Canadian television hosts Goodwill Games medalists in figure skating Competitors at the 1990 Goodwill Games 20th-century Canadian sportsmen