Kurt Browning

Born in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta and raised in Caroline, Alberta, figure skater Kurt Browning is a four-time Canadian Champion and four-time World Champion. He represented Canada in three Winter Olympics: 1988 (8th), 1992 (6th) and 1994 (5th), and was given the privilege of bearing the Canadian flag during the Opening Ceremony of the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Browning's achievements are numerous, including winning three Canadian Professional Championships, and three World Professional Championships. He was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy for Canada’s top athlete (1990), the Lionel Conacher Award (1990, 1991), the Order of Canada (1990), the American Skating World Professional Skater of the Year Award (1998), and the Gustav Lussi Award from the Professional Skaters' Association (2001). He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (1994), the Skate Canada Hall of Fame (2001), the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame (2006), and he received the inaugural International Skating Union Skating Lifetime Achievement Award (2020).

On March 25, 1988, at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Browning made history by landing the first-ever quadruple jump in competition. This accomplishment is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Known as the Wayne Gretzky of figure skating due to his contributions to the popularity of figure skating in Canada, Browning’s skill, energy and talent have been welcomed by his fans and embraced by his fellow skaters for decades. An absolute craftsman on skates with extraordinary displays of footwork, Browning’s natural humour and rapport with the audience will always be his signature.

Browning has headlined numerous primetime network specials including the award-winning CBC specials, Tall in the Saddle (1990), and Kurt Browning, You Must Remember This (1994), which featured his iconic Singing in the Rain performance. He enjoyed varying lead roles in all six seasons of the CBC hit series, Battle of the Blades (2009-2019) including cohost with Ron MacLean, and head judge. He also appeared in the FOX series, Skating with Celebrities (2006). As a choreographer, he contributed to the Cirque Du Soleil production, Crystal, as head of On Ice Creative (2017).

Browning has provided colour commentary for figure skating competitions for NBC, ABC, and ongoing for CBC since 2006.

In 2023, Browning skated his 30th and final tour as a headliner for the touring show, Stars On Ice. Over the span of these 30 years, he performed in a total of 925 shows for Stars on Ice in Canada, the United States and Germany.