Kurt Browning’s sense of humour, as sharp as the blades on his skates, was as much in evidence at a Stars on Ice social gathering Tuesday night as his figure-skating flair would be on ice an hour later.
One of the biggest misconceptions about figure skaters, the four-time former world champion revealed, is that they aren’t as tall as many fans assumed they’d be.
“‘I thought you were taller!’” he said, smiling as he mimicked one fan’s incredulity. “And I said: ‘Do you mean you thought I’d be Toller [Cranston] with an O, or taller?’”
Browning and 2018 Olympics hopeful Kaetlyn Osmond made a brief appearance at the reception before joining two-time Olympic silver-medallists Elvis Stojko and Patrick Chan, two-time world pair champions Eric Radford and Meagan Duhamel and other stellar skaters on the ice at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Although the Stars on Ice castmates are accustomed to fans lining up for autographs and photos, Browning said they never take the adulation for granted.
“You never know when it will be your last compliment,” he said. “So you store every one of them in your head.”
Duana and Bob McHugh were among 75 guests invited by Stars on Ice tour title sponsor Investors Group to its private reception for clients and other guests.
“For us this is special because my kids skated with Elvis Stojko when he was the junior in Newmarket, Ont.,” Duana said, reminiscing about their participation in the town’s skating club carnival in the mid-1980s.
“My kids were little and he was the 14-year-old featured skater, so we’ve had a history, and we’ve been watching him grow.”
Her husband said Stars on Ice provided “a wonderful opportunity” to see the world-class skaters they watch on television perform live.
“It doesn’t compare to TV,” he said. “It’s quite different to see how fast they are and how high they jump in person.”
Although Ann Ovstaas said she’s never been to a professional skating show before, she welcomed the chance to see Stars on Ice and attend the reception after being offered complimentary tickets.
“I remember when I was a kid we used to go to a cottage up in Sundridge, Ont., and they had an arena that was open all summer,” she recalled.
“Donald Jackson [the retired Olympic bronze medalist] used to practise there in the summer, just before the rest of us would go out and ice-skate. That’s what got me interested in figure skating.”
Her friend Terri Chyzowski was grateful that she got to go along as Ovstaas’s date.
“When I watch figure skaters I think their athleticism is amazing,” said Chyzowski, who grew up in Saskatchewan. “What they do on the ice, and their strength and agility and artistic expression, it’s just amazing.”
Peter Bent, Investors Group’s assistant vice-president of marketing, said sponsoring Stars on Ice was a good fit for the financial services company.
“We know there’s more to life than finances,” he said. “Coming together, sharing experiences with family and friends is wonderful, and this is an opportunity for us to meet our clients in a situation different from a business context.”
Victoria division director Stephen McKenzie said the show’s timing couldn’t have been better, landing in Victoria right after Mother’s Day.
“My mom eagerly anticipates getting a Mother’s Day gift to go and see Stars on Ice, and this year she got to meet her favourite, Kurt Browning,” he said. “There are a lot of moms here.”
Describing herself as a longtime “proud supporter of figure skating,” Helen Faustino brought along her 11-year-old daughter, Annabelle, for an opportunity to see what her older sister has the potential to become.
“I have an older daughter who figure-skates,” Faustino said. “She’s 15 now, and she’s been figure skating since she was four.”
While Annabelle doesn’t aspire to become a professional figure skater herself, she has watched her sister’s competitions and said she was excited about seeing Stars on Ice for the first time.
“I’m more of a field hockey player but I like watching,” she said. “It’s fun to watch.”
