Browning looks back with few regrets

Prince George residents will get a chance to see figure skating history tonight. For the first time ever three of the biggest names in Canadian men's figure skating will step out onto the ice and skate together.

During the past two decades Brian Orser, Kurt Browning and Elvis Stojko have been household names in the figure skating world and will be skating one piece together at the Nice 'n' Easy Celebration on Ice at the Multiplex.

"Brian and I have done lots of Stars on Ice, Skate the Nation and Champions on Ice so he and I are used to working together. Elvis on the other hand kind of went his own way and did his own tour. So the odds of seeing the three of us on the same show are low. It's new and rare and it's about time. Because of one thing or another we didn't really get a chance to be on the ice together. Even if you're not a really big skating fan it's going to be fun to see three different generations of skaters. I sort of crossed with Brian and then with Elvis. I was kind of bookended together. And it's going to be really fun with the three of us together."

For Browning, a four time world champion, four time Canadian champion and three time world professional champion, his career both as an amateur and professional skater has had many highlights.

Browning became the first skater to land a quadruple jump in competition during the world championships in 1988 in Budapest, Hungary. This has put him in the Guinness Book of World Records at the tender age of 22.

"I think like so many kids who would go to the library at school and pull out the Guinness Book of Records and look through it, 'oh look at those finger nails oh look at this.' It was a fun book to read. Like every other kid I used to think, "How am I going to get in this book? Somehow you have to get into this book," said Browning. "When it did happen it was really like you're a kid again. Look I'm in the Guinness Book of World Records. I still will see a copy of it and see if my name is in that one it's not always in it. Depends on what version of the book. I thought it was in all of them but it's not."

Browning who has his own star on Canada's Walk of Fame had just one title which eluded him, an Olympic medal.

"It's a regret. Not one that bothers me. I think it would be rude almost, if I think I reserve the right to feel sorry for myself since I'm one of the luckiest people I met. Would an Olympic medal have changed my life personally? No. Maybe I would have made more money but you know I already have a nice career," he said.

"What I really felt the worst about was not representing Canada on the medal count. Cause I was world champion going into two Olympics and I would have thought I would bring home something. And it didn't work out. That bothers me. 'Cause you know as a kid you would look at the medal count and keep track of who won. So on a personal level I'm fine but that's where it really bugs me that I didn't get a medal for Canada. I'm damn proud to be Canadian. It's a good country to live in.