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Figure skating, like a good movie, needs a star. Brian Orser, Kurt
Browning and Elvis Stojko were Canada's leading men for nearly two
decades.
Canada is struggling to find someone to fill their shoes.
The spotlight has been searching for its next star since their
final bow.
"The talent is there," Orser said last night before an open forum
with Stojko and Browning at The Spectator. The legendary trio is in
town for Gotta Skate IV at Copps Coliseum on Oct. 16.
Orser said he's met young and upcoming skaters in every region of
Canada who have the skill and determination to become champions. He
said Canada's heyday will return if their talent is nurtured.
"It will happen again," he said confidently.
Figure skating has done a bad job of regenerating its young stars,
said Browning.
"We've just had some bad luck as a sport."
It was not so long ago that figure skating was a prime time
blockbuster. Millions tuned in to watch Orser, Browning and Stojko
battle the world.
Fans who weren't gripped by the battles of the Brians (Orser and
U.S. champion Brian Boitano) in the '80s, became obsessed with the
sport during the 1992 and 1994 winter Olympics.
The Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan saga in 1994 turned the sport
into a must-watch soap opera.
But then the stars turned professionals and judging scandals
tainted the sport. Disillusioned fans flooded away.
Stojko believes the lack of current skating stars has a lot to do
with longevity. While he and other skaters of his generation spent
years in the competitive circuit, new skaters tend to win and
immediately turn pro, he said.
"It's ... easier to win and leave."
It's not just a matter of talent either, Stojko said. To truly be a
champion and a star, a skater has to be able to pull off the right
performance at the perfect time.
All three believe Emanuel Sandhu has the potential to be a star. To
watch the young skater on the ice is truly something to behold, said
Browning.
"That guy is on another level when it comes to figure skating," he
said.
But when it comes to competition, Sandhu has failed time after
time.
Sue Webb, a self-described "die-hard fan," has remained faithful to
the sport through its ups and downs. She'll be at Gotta Skate and
half-a-dozen other skating events this year. But even she wants to see
a new star.
"We need another Kurt, Elvis or Brian," she said. "They are
legends." Webb, like the skaters, believes the new judging system for
figure skating, which was designed to remove judge tampering, will go
a long way to clean up the sport.
The new judging will also lead to a higher standard of competition
that will hopefully draw the fans back, said Browning.
In the meantime, it may still be the old legends who foster new
talent. Tara Cater, 15, grew up watching Browning and Stojko. "They
are just my heroes." She has faith a new skater with star power is
about to break through any day.
"I hope it will be big again."
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Gary Yokoyama, the Hamilton Spectator