Brian Orser: Canadian Excellence

Welcome to the What's New... section of the website. This page will be a record as to what's changed on the site. If you haven't been here in a while, this is the place to go to see what's been added!

November 7, 2010
Looking to keep up with the latest news about Brian? Then become a fan of Brian on Facebook. It's where the latest news, articles and videos featuring Brian and his students will be posted.

August 24, 2010

KIM'S REPRESENTATIVES END ORSER'S COACHING RELATIONSHIP

August 24, 2010 (New York, NY) - Meehee Park, Kim's mother and a representative with AT Sports,( Kim's agency), met with Brian Orser and Tracy Wilson on August 2, 2010 in Toronto, Canada. They both informed the two-time Olympic Medalist that he would no longer be retained to coach Kim. No reason was given for the sudden and unexpected decision. At the present time Kim continues to train at the Cricket Club in Toronto, Canada.

Under Orser's four year successful tutelage Kim captured the World Championships, the 2010 Olympic Gold Medal in Vancouver and countless other titles. In addition to Kim, Orser coaches many future hopefuls including U.S. skaters Adam Rippon and Christina Gao.

"I am honored to have worked with such a talented and gifted skater," said Orser. "I wish her all the best as she moves forward in her skating career."

March 14, 2009
CONGRATULATIONS BRIAN!

Brian has been chosen for the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame! The Hall recognbizes those who have made an impact on the sport. He will be inducted into the hall during the World Championships in Los Angeles later this month. There will also be a reception on March 28th - tickets required

World Figure Skating Hall of Fame Announces 2009 Inductees
Brian Orser heads list of World Figure Skating Hall of Fame inductees - Los Angeles Times, 03/13/09

In honor of Brian's induction, this month's featured videos are three of Brian's greatest eligible moments. It includes his long programs from the 1984 Olympicsm 1987 Worlds, and 1988 Olympics.

December 6, 2008
This month's featured videos come from Brian's three skating specials. All the special won awards across Canada so we've chosen our favorite from each one. Performances include "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" from Skating Free, "Up on the Roof" from Night Moves and "Shakin' My Blues Away" from Blame it on the Blues.

October 22, 2008
This month we're featuring videos from the various pro-ams that brian skated in while as a professional. Programs include "Somewhere in Time, "Swing, Swing, Swing," and "Against All Odds."

September 19, 2008
We're now featuring video performances of Brian through the years. Each month we'll be adding three new videos. Be sure to check them out.

September 14, 2008
Check out the site's newest section, His Teaching, dedidcated to covering Brian's career from the other side of the boards.!

June 1, 2008
Support the Pride and Remebrance Run!

Once again Brian has put together a team of current and former skaters and friends to run in the Toronto 5K Pride and Remembrance Run which raises money for AIDS related charities. The team is the "Silver's Bullets" and the skaters will be running in honor of former Canadian figure skater Brian Pokar. Pokar was the Canadian champion who preceded Brian. Pockar died from the AIDS virus in April 1992. The race takes place in Toronto on June 28th.

With the support of Skate Canada, fans, friends and family the team raised over $40,000 last year! They hope to improve upon that this year and you can help them meet their goals and support a great cause.

To donate to the cause, go to www.priderun.org and select the PLEDGE button. On the next screen, be sure and select Orser from the Runner's list so your donation counts to the team total. Tax receipts are available. It's a great cause and every bit helps, so Donate Today!

February 20, 2008

Brian's been in the news a bit lately as he looks back on Calgary

Battle of the Brians endures 20 years later; Orser, Boitano reunite on ice to recall duel at 1988 Olympics

Icy Battleground

Looking back on Calgary

November 1, 2007

Last week Brian took part in the Disson skating show A Skate for the Heart which was a heart foundation benefit. He skated one solo to "The Blessing" in which he was joined partway through by Shae-Lynn Bourne. In addition he skated in the opening "Over the Rainbow / The Sky, The Dawn and the Sun" and the finale "One World." But skating wasn't Brian's primary purpose here, he was the show's choreographer. His group numbers were intricate pieces and rather impressive given the short length of rehearsal time. Photos from the show are available.

September 1, 2007
A Coaching Injury: August was unfortunately not a good month for Brian as he experienced his worst injury to date. While stepping out onto the ice while coaching Yu-Na, he slipped, smashing his wrist into the edge of the rink. And it seems that it's always the freak accidents that are the worst and it was no idfferent in Brian's case as he shattered his right wrist. The damage was so severe that it required surgery to repair - including two metal plates, multiple screws and a bone graft from his hip to repair. Thankfully the surgery went very well and while painful, is on the mend. A full recovery is expected and the only change is Brian has an added item to his skate bag - an x-ray and doctor's letter for the airport metal detectors. He's back on the ice coaching and will be off in two weeks for Superstars on Ice in Korea, though he will be choreographing only, not skating. At this time he still plans to skate in Skate for the Heart in October.

July 1, 2007
Brian would like to extend a large THANK YOU to all the fans who have donated to the Price and Remembrance Run!! All told, Silver's Bullets raised over $40,000 and were the top fundraisers on the run! Brian is very thankful that his fans chose to support a cause he cares about. Brian's team was furhter enhanced by members of Skate Canada and photos of the team can be found on their website.

Looking ahead to next season, Brian has added second event to his schedule. He will be performing in Skate for the Heart benefit in Uncasville, CT on October 27th. More show details on the schedule page.

May 24, 2007
Brian would like to extend a large THANK YOU to all the fans who have donated to the Price and Remembrance Run!! So far he's raised over $2000!

May 14, 2007
Support the Pride and Remebrance Run!
Brian has put together a team of current and former skaters and friends to run in the Toronto 5K Pride and Remembrance Run which raises money for AIDS related charities. The team is the "Silver's Bullets" and the skaters will be running in honor of former Canadian ice dancer Rob McCall. In addition on Thursday April 21st, Rob's name will be added to the AIDS Memorial located at 519 Church Street.

Currently running for Silver's Bullets are: Brian Orser, Patti Cooke, Jason Forbes, John Rait, Marcus Christiansen, Matt Hickey, Jeff Buttle, Michael Shinniman, David Wilson, Chris Mabee, Joey Russell

To donate to the cause, go to www.priderun.org and select the PLEDGE button. On the next screen, be sure and select Orser from the Runner's list so your donation counts to the team total. Tax receipts are available. It's a great cause and every bit helps, so Donate Today!

May 5, 2007: Check out the 2007 Photo Gallery for over 250 photos from three stops of the tour including Victoria!

April 29, 2007:

Brian says farewell to touring!
In an emotional journey across Canada, Brian said good-bye to the touring portion of his skating career. After 19 years on the road Brian decided it was time to give up that part of performing. From here out it will be the occassional show or appearance that doesn't require a multi-week commitment. As a full-time coach to Yu-Na Kim, his responsibilities at the Cricket Club, he won't have the time for anything so large scale anymore.

On this past Canadian Stars on Ice tour Brian got a full night of skating with two solos and six group numbers! His first number was to "Night and Day" by Michael Bolton and was a fun light-hearted number with lots of intricate steps. His second number was a brilliant combination of Neil Diamond's "I Believe in Happy Endings" and his classic "Story of My Life." The program starts as a sentimental performance about endings with that classic long edgy style that is so very Brian. As the song fades, the lights go dark and a video montage begins that features highlights from Brian's amateur and professional career. As the piece comes to an end it shows Brian skating to "Story of My Life" and picks up with the choreography as the lights come up and he skates the final two minutes of the program. While each night the audiences gave Brian standing ovations, at the opening in Halifax and the closing in Victoria, the audience stood at the end of the video clips and gave a continuous standing ovation as Brian skated the entire second half of the program. In Hamilton the cast (shown at right) came out to stand as the end of Brian's second number as well.

Brian will next be skating in and directing Superstars on Ice in Korea with star student Yu-Na Kim and a cast of top skaters. There will be three shows starting September 14th at the Mokdong Ice Rink.

Brian Orser enjoying every minute of his farewell skating tour ... - myTELUS.com Sports, 04/22/07
Brian Orser enjoying every minute of his farewell skating tour - CBC News, 04/07/07
Q+A Brian Orser, figure skater, Stars On Ice - Now Toronto, 04/05/07
Brian Orser enjoying every minute of his farewell skating tour - Canoe.ca, 04/04/07

March 24, 2007: This week was a one of first's for Brian, as he stood behind the boards at his first World Championships and coached his first skater to a medal as Yu-Na Kim took the bronze medal. Also several articles about Brian's final tour. I highly recommend the first one as it's a very funny interview.

Life of Brian's just fine, thanks - The Star, 3/19/07
One final tour of duty for Orser - The Star, 03/06/07
Orser prepares for his swan song - Halifax News, 3/7/07

Don't miss Brian Orser's Farewell Tour

Brian will be touring for the last time this spring with the HSBC Stars on Ice tour across Canada from March 29th to April 20th. The tour will also include Kurt Browning, Jeff Buttle, Jennifer Robinson and many more.
Tickets are available at ticketmaster.ca

February 3, 2007: The 2006 photo gallery is now open with over 300 photos from this fall's events!

November 19, 2006: Brian created two new programs for the Michael Bolton Tribute on Ice in Bridgeport, CT on November 11th. The first was to "How Can We Be Lovers" that included a great high energy straightline step sequence. His second numbger was to "Night and Day" performed lived by Bolton and was classic Brian. The show will air on NBC on December 16th from 4-6pm. Also the tour dates for the Canadian Stars on Ice tour have been announced - they've made some significant changes to the timing of the different cities so be sure to check the dates for your stop! Brian has also expanded his coaching work to be the main coach for Yu Na Kim of Korea. It's shaping up as an excellent partnership - in their first event together (and Kim's first senior grand prix event) she took the bronze medal at Skate Canada.

Brian's now a shoe! Show designer Ron White has released a line of shoes inspired by eight Toronto men - including Brian. The "Orser" is a two tone wingtip brogue - a sleek, sophisticated yet 'take note of me' shoe. The shoes are made in Italy and will retail in Canada for $495.

October 27, 2006: Brian was a last-minute replacement for Jeff Buttle at Kurt Browning's Gotta Skate 6.0 in Toronto on October 13th. In the show Brian performed his classic "Story of My Life" which brought the audience to their feet for an extended standing ovation when he was finished. The performance was essential Orser - emotion and powerful edge control. In addition to his solo Brian performed a short duet with Joannie Rochette to "Too Little To Late," an all-guys group number to "Sunny" and a high energy final to "One Week" performed live by the Bare Naked Ladies. Following Kurt's show Brian was off to Chatham, Ontario to skate in Shae-Lynn & Friends, a benefit show to raise money for the Every Life Counts Campaign. There Brian skated two shows on October 15th to a very enthusiastic crowd. Brian performed "Story of My Life" (two great performances and two more standing ovations) as well as the up-beat "Let's Face the Music & Dance / Steppin' Out."

The big news of October is of course, Brian's appearance in Canadian Stars on Ice in spring 2007. This will be Brian's farewell tour as he is stepping back from the rigors of touring and travelling to big shows. After almost 20 years as a touring and performing professional skater Brian is ready to leave the travelling to the next generation. He wills still continue to perform in smaller club shows and the like in Canada as time permits. His main focus will be in expanding his work at the Toronto Cricket Club and helping shape the generations of skaters to come.

September 17, 2006: Brian will be returning again this year to perform in the Proximus Stars on Ice shows in Antwerp, Belgium on November 18th and 19th. Brian will also once again be choreographing the tour. On the choreography front Brian will also be assisting Lea Ann Miller at both Tribute on Ice and Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular. Through his position at the Cricket Club Brian has also been helping various eligible skaters put together their short and long programs. AbsoluteSkating recently did a excellent interview with Brian about his work with the Belgium Stars on Ice and his overall career.

September 10, 2006: Brian has added new new skating shows to his fall schedule. The first is the Van Andel Arena's 10th Anniversary Celebration On Ice on October 8th in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The second is Shae & Friends, a benefit show in Chatham, Ontario on October 15th. More details on each show can be found on the schedule page.

August 4, 2006: Two more events have been added to Brian's schedule for this season. The first is the annual Mariposa Gala on August 10th in Barrie, Ontario and the second is the Holiday Festival on Ice that will be in Prince George, BC on December 9th. Tickets are on-sale now for the Mariposa Gala.

June 4, 2006: Brian will be making a personal appearance at the opening of the new BMO Bank of Montreal bank in Ottawa. (3775A Strandherd Drive). The event runs from 11am - 3pm and begins with a barbeque and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new bank. BRian will be signing autographs from 12:30 - 2:30pm.

May 3, 2006: Brian has confirmed for two of the Disson skating shows next fall. The first is the Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular on October 20th in Portland, OR. The second is the Tribute on Ice on November 11th in Bridgeport, CT (exact musical tribute guest TBA).

April 8, 2006: While the 2005-2006 season is coming to a close, Brian has one final club show scheduled in Mississauga on May 12th. More details on the schedule page. Also Disson Skating has released their schedule of events for next year. While no cast lists are finalized, Brian will be performing in several of the shows. More details will come this summer.

February 20, 2006: The 2005 gallery has been updated with over 70 photos from Kurt's Gotta Skate and the Earth, Wind, Fire Tribute on Ice.

NEWS FLASH!: Brian Orser is NOT retiring. Contrary to articles published earlier this year Brian Orser is not retiring this season. While he acknowledges that the point of retirement is coming, he does plan to continue skating for now and is already lining up events for next season. Brian thanks his fans for all the nice things that have been posted recently about his great career and wants everyone to know that he's not done yet!

December 2, 2005: Brian had excellent performances at the recent Belgium Stars on Ice shows with his "Let's Face the Music & Dance / Steppin' Out" number. Both programs got excellent fan receptions! Brian also choreographed the three group numbers to "Call of the Champions," "Lady," and "Fever" - all of which were also well received. You can see some photos from the event at Absolute Skating: 11/19 show and 11/20 show as well as a combined review of both shows.

November 13, 2005: Brian performed this week in at the Earth, Wind & Fire Tribute on Ice show to rousing ovations from the crowd. EWF played the entire show live which generated an energy from both the skaters and the audience that was unique experience. Brian's first number was to "Sing A Song" and was an uptempo number that included lots of tricky footwork that was vintage Orser. His costume was the two-tone green striped shirt originally from "Tunnel Vision." His second number was a slower number to "Imagination" that was full of long edges. This program had a new unique costume that was dark plum pants with a plum leopard print shirt - very funky. He also skated a cute duet with Boitano to "Mighty Mighty" - shades of their duet from their early pro years. Brian was also assisting LeAnn Miller with the choreography for the show as well.
Brian has also added two new events to his performance schedule. The first is Stars on Ice in Antwerp Belgium on November 19th and 20th. In addition to performing, Brian will also be choreographing the show - he says to look forward to some high energy group numbers! He'll also be the featured performer at the Wheeling Symphony on Ice in West Virginia. Complete details on both events can be found on the Schedule page.

October 23, 2005: Brian appeared once again in Kurt Browning's Gotta Skate and once again debuted two new programs. The first was a one-time program to "Voglio Restare Cosi" with Andrea Bocelli performing live. It was classic Brian - lots of great edgework. His second number was a lighter number to a Tony Bennet medley of "Let's Face the Music & Dance / Steppin' Out."
Brian also has a new job! Brian Orser and Tracy Wilson are the new directors of the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club. They will be focussing on growing and enhancing the club's long history of skating excellence. Brian will also be teaching some of the childrens and adult can-skate clases. He will be splitting his time between Toronto and his home in Ottawa.

October 2, 2005: The dates for the winter and spring Celebration on Ice tours have been announced and once again Brian will be skating and choreographing the show. Complete details are on the Schedule page.

September 10, 2005: The new issue of Blades on Ice has a nice article about Brian. The Celebration on Ice tour will be happening again this and most likely with Brian a part of it. Dates are expected to be announced in the few weeks. Brian has also been named to the Athletes Circle for the Montreal 2006 OutGames. Lots of little updates on the site including a complete redo of the Programs page - now Programs and Program Details are all together.

July 15, 2005: One more event has been added to Brian's schedule. He will be appearing in The Ice Show in Thunder Bay on September 19th. The show is an AIDS benefit show and is quite an impressive line-up including Seven Cousins, Alexei Yagudin, Sale & Pelletier and more. Complete details on the schedule page.

June 5, 2005: Though the years roll on, Brian will once again be heading out on the performance circuit this fall. Currently on the list are Kurt's GOtta Skate V; the Earth, Wind & Fire Tribute; Holiday Festival on Ice and he'll start off the season by headlining the Mariposa Gala. And this is only June - as the season gets closer more events will be popping up. See the schedule page for details on these events. Also the TV Print section has gotten an update. The new logo photo at top is from the spring 2005 Celebration on Ice tour.

March 20, 2005: The new year saw no slowdown in Brian's performances. In January he skated at Tribute to the Movies in Los Angeles, a show with programs from the current Oscar nominated songs and past winners. Brian skated to two current nominees - "I Believe" from The Polar Express and "Accidentally In Love" from Shrek II. "I Believe" is a classic Brian program filled with lots of long edges and flowing moves while "Accidentally in Love" is a fun lighthearted number with lots of great footwork. In addition Brian skated in several group numbers. And he wasn't just a performaer - he once again served as assistant choreographer to Leanne Miller.

Following the show in LA, Brian hopped a plane to Ontario for rehearsals for the Celebration on Ice spring tour. It was a busy two days of rehearsal as Brian was the shows head choreographer and had two days to teach the cast the group numbers. Both the opening to "Let's Get It Started" and the finale the a George Michael medley were intricate numbers that featured some great unison footwork as well as individual highlight tricks. For his solos Brian performed the dramatic "Mi Mancheri" from Il Postino and the light-hearted "Accidentally in Love." Both programs were performed well throughout the tour and were met with great audience receptions.

Check out the photo gallery for over 100 photos from both of these events!

January 9, 2004: Brian's participation in Winterludes has been confirmed. He'll be skating at the kick-off celebration on February 4th at the Rideau Street Gateway at 7pm. And a big thank-you to all the fans who regularly visit this site - January 9th is our 5th anniversary!

December 20, 2004: It's been a busy two months for Brian with shows in three countries! First up in November was the Andrea Bocelli Tribute on Ice in Bridgeport, CT where on top of performing Brian was assistant choreographer to LeAnn Miller and created the finale for the show. His first solo was to "Cantico" and the second "Sin tu Amor" featured live singing by Bocelli. Both numbers were classic "old school" Brian with long running edges and effortless jumps. Next Brian was off to Germany where he again performed and choreographed Katarina Witt's Enjoy the Stars. Brian then came back to Canada to set the holiday mood, skating and choreographing for the Holiday Festival on Ice show and the Celebration on Ice tour. His new holiday numbers are "Oh Holy Night" and "I Believe" by Josh Groban.
Brian continues to be busy into the new year with the two galas in Beijing and just added the "Tribute to the Movies" on February 18th at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles. For those in the Ottawa area, keep an eye on your local listings as Brian will be making some appearances on the Rideau canal for the Winterludes festival. And be sure to check out the photo gallery - lots of new photos from the Bocelli and Holiday Festival shows!

October 24, 2004: Brian performed once again in Kurt Browning's Gotta Skate show. His first solo was the classic "Somewhere In Time" and the second was his new program to Groban's "Il Postino (Mi Mancheai)" which is another quintisentially Brian number with lots of long edgers and moves that just flow from one to the other. In a program full of humor, Brian skated with Kurt and Elvis to an instrumental piece that had each of them showing their 'typical' skating footwork and then having the other two duplicate it humorously. Quite a treat to see the three of them together in one number. The show opened with the dramatic "Nessun Dorma" performed live by Michael Bolten and the finale was the up-tempo "Rock This Town" by the Brian Setzer Orchestra. The first half closed with a big group number to a variety of fifties tunes that allowed Brian to showcase his comedic skating that isn't often seen in his solo numbers. There's over 75 photos from Kurt's show in the new 2004 Gallery! Fans should also keep their eyes out for the next issue of Spotlight on Skating that will feature interviews with Brian, Kurt and Elvis and a photo shoot from Kurt's show.

October 10, 2004: Brian has started off the season with his performance at the first Brasseur & Eisler Farewell Show in Montreal. He debuted a new program to "Il Postino" by Josh Groban which is in the vein of a classic Orser program (thanks to Sherry for the info).

September 30, 2004: Brian just gets busier and busier! In addition to those events already on his schedule Brian will also be skating in Kristi Yamaguchi & Friends in Hershey, PA; Katarina Witt's Enjoy the Stars in Germany; Scott Hamilton & Friends in Cleveland, OH; and two galas in Beijing, China. In addition to performing, Brian will be choreographing Katarina's show. Full details on these shows can be found on the Schedule page.

Brian also had a busy summer making an appearance at the Skate Canada General Meeting, being in the audience at the Canadian Idol finals, and skating in the opening ceremony for the new Midland rec center. And in a nice bit of history the CBC Archives have posted a post-Calgary video interview with Brian (thanks to Donna for that link)

July 15, 2004: Once again this fall Brian will be lacing up the skates to perform across the Canada and the United States in a variety of shows! Currently Brian is scheduled to appear in the following: Brasseur & Eisler Farewell Show, Kurt Browning's Gotta Skate IV, Andrea Bocelli Tribute on Ice, Holiday Festival on Ice and the Celebration on Ice Tour. For more details on each show see the schedule page.

April 21, 2004: Lots of small updates through-out the site: new trivia, new links and some new organization. Take a look around :)

March 8, 2004: Brian will be performing in the Opening Ceremonies for the Ontario Winter Games on March 11th at the John Labatt Centre in London. Tickets available from the box office at (519) 488-1012.

February 7, 2004: The spring version of the Celebration on Ice tour is currently under way out west. If any Brian fans are going to see the tour I'd love to get some reports on what Brian skated! Lots of little updates all over the site.

Scott Hamilton & Friends with Michael Feinstein is available on DVD. See more than an hour of extra footage than on the NBC broadcast! More performances, behind-the-scenes footage, cast interviews and more!
Order yours today from Amazon!

December 20, 2003: Brian is on the cover of the January 2004 issue of International Figure Skating and the feature article is on Brian, Scott Hamilton & Josef Sabovchek and the 20th anniversary of their Sarajevo Olympic medals. There are some scans from the photo shoot on this page of the IFS website. The issue will be on newsstands January 6th. Brian will also be a part of the IFS cruise in August. The Celebration on Ice tour is currently underway in Ontario and Brian's two solo's are the Christmas themed "The Man With The Bag" and the introspective "Where Do You Start." In addition he's skating several Christmas ensemble numbers. In the finale he does a series of side-by-side double axels with Kurt Browning. At the Sarnia show on the 18th, the cast presented him with a birthday cake after the finale and he was serenaded by the audience. (thanks to Judy for the Sarnia info!)

December 13, 2003: The Christmas spirit next moved to Canada for the Holiday Festival on Ice. And while the arena was beset with some problems (the jumbotron cable broke, practice got cancelled and then the show started almost 2 hours late while it was fixed) the show itself was fantastic. Brian first skated to "The Man With the Bag" complete with the red leather santa jacket and his second solo was to "Where Do You Start?" Brian was having an 'on' performance all-night with huge crisp jumps and even got a standing ovation for his second piece. In addition he skated a ensemble number with Browning, Sale & Pelletier to "Silent Night." The other highlight to the night was the group numbers "Joy To The World" and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" performed by the Toronto Children's Choir who added a fantastic live music element to the show. The 2003 Gallery has 29 new photos added!

December 5, 2003: Brian got the Christmast spirit rolling this week with several excellent performances at the Holiday Celebration on Ice in Columbia, South Carolina. His first solo was to Lee Ann Womack's "The Man with the Bag" wearing a red leather jacket with 'Claus 25' on the back. His second solo was to "Beyond the Sea" and he also performed a mini-duet with Roz Sumners to Womack's "The Season for Romance." He also appeared in three Xmas ensemble numbers. Also Brian says that his second program from Scott's show was an extra long version of "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing" which was a real challenge to perform in the altitude of Colorado.

November 6, 2003: Photos from the 2003 Dreams on Ice show added to the gallery. The Oct/Nov issue of Spotlight on Skating features a good two page article on Brian and his work this season as a choreographer including the time spent in China doing long programs for Chenjiang Li and Min Zhang. Also the cruise document above has been updated with more details.

October 4, 2003: Brian turned in another fine set of programs at the 2003 Dreams on Ice show on the 27th. In the first half he skated "Beyond the Sea" and in the second he brought back his classic "Story Of My Life." Next up for Brian is Scott Hamilton's show set to all Michael Feinstein music. For the show Brian is rechoreographing his old program to "Where Do You Start?" and having a new Jef Billings costume made. He's also hard at work planning out the Holiday Festival on Ice in December where he is planning to use the Toronto Children's Choir for a classic holiday feeling to the opening and closing numbers. Plus he's working out the details for a triple-threat ensemble number featuring Donald Jackson. Kurt Browning and himself skating to various versions of the same carol for the small Christmas tour in Ontario.

September 23, 2003: Brian has his first event this past weekend, the Burt Bacharach Tribute on Ice. While he didn't have a full long solo, he did skate a short piece to "The Blob" as well as several ensemble numbers. You can read a good review of it here. Also there are photos by Tina in the new 2003 gallery plus updates to many other pages.

September 8, 2003: The skating season is upon us and Brian is going to be busy as ever. Several new events have been added to his schedule include the Bacharach Tribute on Ice and the Bourne & Kraatz Homecoming show. Full details on the Schedule page. There's also going to be a cruise this spring to the Bahamas - details below!

Sail with Brian!

Join Brian Orser May 16-24th on the Royal Caribbean Cruise lines Mariner of the Seas for Islands and Ice Cruise! Brian will be performing in the shows and teaching skating clinics/seminars. The cruise departs from Miami and makes stops in the Bahamas and Virgin Islands. Prices for dual occupancy range from $1399 to $1949. For complete details and forms please read the brochure (MS Word file).

July 12, 2003: Brian's got one more confirmed event on his schedule, it's a Holiday mini-tour around Ontario. There are four dates from Dec 18th-21st. Full details on the Schedule page. Also new photos added to the 2001 and 2002 galleries. For photos from the Hagerstown Skating clinic click here.

May 15, 2003: There's updates all over the site with more quotes, program details and credentials among other things! But the big news is that Brian already has four events on the calendar for next season - so rest easy Brian fans - he's not retiring yet! See the Schedule for full details. Brian is currently on summer vacation - his last event was teaching the Hagerstown Ice Clinic on May 3rd and 4th. Though suffering from a minor hip muscle injury that prevented him from jumping, Brian did an excellent job teaching the clinic and brought down Shawn Sawyer to help demonstrate the jumps. Photos from the event coming soon!

March 21, 2003: Brian has one new event on the schedule for this spring - a Hallmark Skating Showcase in Colorado Springs on April 25th. Brian will also be flexing his choreographic muscle for this show. Tickets are onsale now at Tickets West. It will air May 3rd at 2pm on CBS.

February 19, 2003: New photos added to the photo Gallery from 1999. Also thanks to La'Tisha we've got a number of new articles on the TV & Print page. Also Brian is doing another clinic - see info below.

Skate With Brian!

Once again Brian will be teaching a skating clinic at the Hagerstown Ice & Sports Complez in Hagerstown, Maryland. This time it will be a two-day clinic on May 3rd and 4th. For more information on how to participate go to http://www.geocities.com/gpembroke/. Hope to see you there!

January 6, 2003: To celebrate the start of the new year as well as the Third Anniversay of this page, we've got seventeen new photos in the 2002 Photo Gallery! Plus several smaller updates to other pages.

December 16, 2002: It was another feather in his hat for Brian's work as a choreographer and show director at the Holiday Festival on Ice. Brian's three group numbers were a great blend of group work and individual features. The highlight was the opening to the second half that featured part of the cast doing huge circles and loops down the length of the ice - almost like giant figures. Just watching masters like Brian and Kurt use every bit of their edges was a jy to behold. Brian also skated two solos, the first to "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" by Garth Brooks and the second to "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley. Both programs featured some solid skating from Brian.

December 10, 2002: Nothing like a little last minute appearance! To allow Alexei Yagudin to only skate one number at the recent Holiday Celebration on Ice in Greenville, SC, Brian got a last minute phone call and made a quick trip down south. He performed "It's A Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" in his second "Somewhere in Time" creme costume. He also subbed for Alexei in the opening and closing Christmas medley numbers wearing black pants and a long sleeve red velvet shirt. Tomorrow is the Holiday Festival on Ice where Brian is both skater, director and choreographer! The Kitcher record ran a Holiday Festival on Ice Preview article. Brian's also doing more choreography with both Jennifer Robinson and Takeshi Honda's new interpretive free skates from the Canadian Open being his.

November 25, 2002: The Sk8 with Elvis tour wraps up tonight and reports are that Brian has been skating well at all his stops. He performed both "Hallelujah" and "Let the Good Times Roll." Site updates include some new info on the Program Details page and a new Quote.

November 18, 2002: There's a new event on Brian's schedule, the Celebration on Ice show in Newmarket, Ontario. Full details on the schedule page. Also be sure and check out the Gotta Skate photos by Debi Oreste as there are some excellent Brian ones there!

November 12, 2002 Eighteen photos added to the 2002 gallery from both Salute to Ray Charles and Kurt's Gotta Dance. You can also see more photos from Gotta Dance at these two pages: Hoo's photos from Gotta Dance. Tina's photos from Gotta Dance. Plus several new pages added to the Links section.

November 4, 2002: Review from Kurt Browning's Gotta Skate II in Hamilton on Nov 1st.

"Hallelujah"
*wow* and *wow* again! I admit I'm biased, but this program was just breathtaking! The song is quiet but powerful and that's exactly how I'd describe Brian's skating so it was a perfect match! Costume was periwinkle blue shirt (actually it's Ilia's shirt from SOI a few years ago) and pinstripe pants with suspenders (from the "Tango" CSOI number last year - I'm beginning to wonder if Brian hasn't just been raiding the IMG warehouse for everything this year!). It was a great look for him. He opened the program with one of the biggest open axels I think I've ever seen him do, and it was right in front of me so it was just amazing to see. He popped the 3sal but redid it in retakes. In retakes he redid the whole first half of the program and he hopes they use that instead as he felt the passion was much better during the retake for that part. The program is just full of these long sweeping edges and curves - it really was just amazing!

Ensemble - "I Want To Be A Rock Star"
The second half opened with Kurt coming out in jeans, tan shirt and jean jacket talking about how he'd always wanted to be a rock star and thanks to Edwin and the Pressure he was going to live out his dream that night. The band launches into a loud rocking tune and Kurt does some footwork and then from the rafters descends a wig with long ash blond hair that he then puts on to complete his rock-star transformation. He is then joined by Brian, Steven and Scotty all in jeans and long haired wigs (think 80s metal bands or the movie "Airheads" and you've got the look.) The most hysterical part though was that Brian's wig wasn't just long hair, but was long curly black hair and really could have been his back in the early 80s only longer. In fact at the numbers close Roz joked that it looked like Brian walked right off the 84 podium . The guys then head-bang and dance around at the front of the stage. Not a great lot of skating, but the number was very funny.

"Beyond the Sea"
While this is the same song Brian skated to on the Skate the Nation tour, this is a all new version. He said he spend some time with Don Laws and Jackie Peters (? I think that's the name he said) and she rechoreographed the whole thing. Costume was the tan cargo pants from "Summer Wind" It's definitely got a very different feel than the previous one which was more on the humorous side. This version, while lite and fun, is a bit more traditional.

October 31, 2002:

Sail with Brian!

Join Brian Orser May 10-17th on the Royal Caribean Cruise lines Navigator of the Seas for Islands and Ice Cruise! Brian will be performing in the shows and teaching three skating clinics/seminars. The cruise departs from Miami and makes stops in the Bahamas, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the private island Labadee. Prices for dual occupancy range from $1069 to $1619 plus port fees and airfare. For complete details and forms please read the brochure (Adobe Acrobat file - download the free reader here.

October 17, 2002: October started out nicely for Brian with some excellent skating at the Salute to Ray Charles show in L.A. on the 5th. Here's a short review of Brian's numbers:

"Let The Good Times Roll"
Costume was black pants and the green on gree striped shirt from CSOI's "Tunnel Vision" number 2 years ago. It was a solid start for Brian's first event of the season. Several double axels and a nice open axel plus of course one backflip. Program was nice and had some good personality to it.

"Two Old Cats Like Us" [duet with Brian Boitano]
Somehow whenever you get both Brian's in program together they bring out the hammiest sides of each other. This program was very similar to their 'anything you can do I can to better' themed program to "King of the Road" from 1990. Costumes were black pants with pink piping for Orser and Yellow for Boitano (the SOI "Jump Jive & Wail" pants from 1998-99) and hot pink and black 1950s shirt (from "Aretha on Ice" I believe). Program was packed with fun - several double axels and stretches of footwork. Cute moment when both Brians took a lot of speed into the corner and got into that long outside edge for a lutz and at the corner skidded to a stop and were like "N'ah" and moved on. Both Brians looked to be laughing quite a bit and just having a good ol' time horsing around on the ice :)

"Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying"
Black pants and the light gray shirt from this years CSOI finale. Brian was a bit off in this program and required some retakes, but he still did a nice job with it. It was definitely a 'once-off' program though and my seatmate and I had fun playing 'spot the program bits' afterword (there was a big chunk of "This Year's Love" there ). Nice 3salchow in retakes.

You can see photos from this show at http://www.scratchspin.com/2002/raychares02/raycharles02.shtml

September 20, 2002: Several new events have been confirmed for Brian's schedule. In addition to choreographing the Holiday Festival on Ice, Brian will also skate. Also Brian has signed on for the last five stops of the Sk8 with Elvis tour. He will appear in: Longon (11/16), Regina (11/20), Calgary (11/22), Prince George (11/24), and Vancouver (11/25). Tickets go on sale September 23rd. More info on each event on the Schedule page.

September 16, 2002: Some good news on Brian's schedule. A recent press release from Kitchener has a quote about Brian being the choreographer for Holiday Festival on Ice. Hopefully this means he's skating in it as well! Also in a recent Ottawa Citizen article Brian spoke of still having the competitive fire burning and thinks he will continue to compete and perform for several more years. Several small updates to each page.

See Brian... See Brian Run... Run Brian Run!
Brian is the honorary spokesperson for the 20th University of Ottawa Heart Institute Corporate Relay. The 2 kilometer walk/run will be held Sept 29th at the Ottawa Athletic Club, and Brian will be kicking it off wearing the No. 1 bib. The run is to raise money for heart disease prevention.

September 6, 2002: Lots of updates this go-around: New quotes, print articles, tv appearances, credentials, program details and some fun pictures from way back in 1983!

August 30, 2002: Extensive updates to the TV-Print section. Also ticket info updates to the schedule and info on how to order Toller's new book (below).

Ice Cream: Thirty of the Most Interesting Skaters in History by Toller Cranston and Martha Lowder Kimball (McClelland & Stewart, ISBN 0-7710-2332-4). In Toller's latest book, he profiles a number of big name skaters including Brian Orser! Brian's chapter is supposed to be quite flattering. The book is set for a Sept 17th publication date. You can order your copies at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Chapters.

August 19, 2002: Small updates only. Ticket sales dates have been announced for a few more events - see the Schedule page for complete info. Also one new quote added.

July 25, 2002: Though Brian's schedule is not yet confirmed, dates and locations are now known for a few more events that are possibilities: Canadian Open - Dec 6-7th, Red Deer, Alberta; Hallmark Skater's Championships - Dec 14th, Columbus, Ohio; Holiday Festival on Ice - date unknown, Kitchener, Ontario. The photo gallery has been updated with some new items including three photos from Brian's recent fashion shoot at the Minto club. A last but not least, new link added to my newest page for Tracy Wilson & Rob McCall

July 10, 2002: Brian's been keeping busy this summer and has recently finished up a skating clinic at the Minto Skating Club in Ottawa. You can read a review and see some pictures here. After the clinic Brian and fellow Canadian Champion Lynn Nightingale took part in a fashion shoot and the photos will be appearing in an upcoming Tuesday edition of the Ottawa Sun paper (sorry no exact date known). Also to promote the new Minto website, Brian is doing an email interview. For information on how to submit a question click here. Deadline for submissions is July 19th.

July 2, 2002: A bunch of smaller updates to The List, Schedule, Crendetials, Program Details, Competitive History and Quotes. A larger update to the TV/Print page with twenty new magazines added.

June 12, 2002: Brian is on the cover of the June 2002 Spotlight on Skating magazine! Inside is a four page interview with Brian that was conducted this May. It's a must have for all Brian fans! You can subscribe to Spotlight on Skating for $30 ($37 CAD). Payment can be sent to 208 Mohawk Road, Ancaster Ontario L9G 2W9 or you can call them at 905-304-6372. Back issues are available for $8 ($10 CAD). Or visit their website at: http://www.spotlightonskating.com/. Click on the image at left for a larger version.

June 5, 2002: With the last stop of Skate the Nation finished, Brian's season is now officially over. Brian earned raves on the western tour for looking as lively and energetic as if it were only the beginning of the season! He performed the same numbers as on the eastern tour. While the schedule for next season only has two events currently listed, Brian says it should fill up with a few more events, and as soons as we know them we'll post them! This update has photos from the Canadian Stars on Ice tour in the gallery, a new section on Brian's Credentials has been added and there's been updates to almost every page on the site!

May 9, 2002: Canadian Stars on Ice is under way in Canada, and while Brian only has one solo number to "Somewhere in Time" he is in the "Tango", "Vanity Tango" and "Oh Yeah" group numbers. See my mini-reviews from Toronto, Hamilton and Kitchener below (you can read my full review of the event in the Skatefans mailing list archives at YahooGroups). Also Brian has confirmed two events so far for next season: Kurt Browning's Gotta Dance on 11/1 and the Salute to Ray Charles on 10/5. More details on the schedule page.

Toronto CSOI
Opening: "Black Betty"

It was interesting to see how this came off in Canada considering that there was a major shortage of women. As a result when they pair off at some points there are two men with one woman and at other times the two 'extra' men are dancing by themselves while the ladies rotate between the men. Brian danced a bit with Shae-Lynn, but he was often the solo male out there.
Orser, Browning, Yagudin - "Tango"

This is one group number that has totally changed from the US version. Instead of it being man/woman partnered Tango, the number is just the three men doing footwork. Costumes were black pinstripe pants, black turtleneck and suspenders. It was really cool to watch the men working together. Oddly it was Browning who looked a little out of place in the number, but only I think because Brian and Alexei have been working together a lot for their short duet at Skate the nation and so their timing and unision are a bit more in sync. I think they also have a very similar movement of style that differs from Kurt which makes it a bit more obvious that Kurt moves in a different fashion. However, I really would have liked to see them add Todd to this number. It's not like they were limited by the number of women in the show - there easily could have been 4 men doing the tango out there.
Orser, Browning, Sand - "Vanity Tango"

Hmmm, another program that suffered a bit on the Canadian version. They've just got the wrong men doing this number with Kurt. I love Brian, but you get the feeling that he's struggling a bit with trying to keep that table under control - he's just not that big of a guy to move that thing around. Then there's Todd Sand who's just a little too stiff for this number. Supposedly he's already had some back problems flipping through the table and moving around - not a good thing. It all just came across as a little too forced, but still reasonably well.
Orser - "Somewhere In Time"

Ahhhh, the basics of skaing at it's best! The new costume is really effective. The whole costume has a nice vintage sort of cut to it. It's a pale creme shirt with tie around the neck and both pants and vest are a medium tan. The vest also has white/clear sparkles on it, and the spats on the boots are now a darker tan color which is much nicer. The program is just really effective and shows the history of skating well. The open axel crossovers into double axel is just very effective, same with the blackflip-2toe combo. Such a beautiful program!
Finale - "Carpenter's Medley"

The finale is totally reworked from the US version with lots of new concepts. I was a little disappointed in Brian's part as he never really got his own mini-solo but instead was performing to Shae-Lynn. It wasn't bad, but I'd have preffered him getting to do his own thing.
Hamilton-Kitchener
Orser, Browning, Yagudin - "Tango"

The lack of rehearsal time really shows on this number. In Hamilton it was tighter, but in Kitchener it was all over the place. With a number that is designed to have all 3 men doing exactly the same movement at exactly the same time, you can't just hope it will all come together. Each of the men lookede good on their own, but as a group there were noticible unision problems. Some parts had Brian and Kurt in unision with Alexei off, others it was Brian or Kurt who was off. It's a great concept piece, I just wish they'd have been able to pull it off better.
Orser, Browning, Sand - "Vanity Tango"

Ok, the word from backstage is that both Brian and Todd are rather bruised and sore from this number and I for one wish they'd ditch the program. One of my friends commented that the problem is that they lookk like they're skating scared, and I think that's right on. Todd and Brian loook very uncomfortable and unsure of themselves and tht even effects Kurt because he can sense that. And honestly with Todd's bad back and Brian not being the tallest guy around, I don't think they were snmart choices for this routine at all. Kitchener though was the worst and this Brian fan got a nast fright. In the aprt where they're supposed to spin the tables 3 times and then release them around the circle to the next guy, the second time they did this Todd released his after only 2 spins and sent the table flying toward Brian who happened to have his back to the table. Thank god he turned around in time or that would have been awful! Then, the next time around Todd held his for 4 spins so Brian was standing there laughing like "where the hell is my table" They laughed it all off, but I couldn't help having visions of this damn vanity knocking Brian out.
Orser - "Somewhere In Time"

Turns out that Brian came down with a vicious cold right before the Hamilton show, but other than a rushed delayed axel, you'd never have known it from the program (well ok, i did, but that's my hang-up for just seeing the program too many times ). In Kitchener he was back to better health and the program had a bit more pop to it. I just love how this program takes a guided tour through skating history - the delayed axel followed by the double axel is very effective. It's truly a program that features some great honest skating, and that's such a beauty to watch!

April 30, 2002: The 2002 photo gallery is now open with 37 photos from the eastern half of Skate the Nation! Also Canadian Stars on Ice is now underway! Brian's one solo is the "Somewhere in Time" and the new costume is supposedly beige vest and pants with a lighter shirt that has a vintage feel to it. In addition to his solo, Brian is part of the opening to "Black Betty", the "Carpenters Medley" finale, the Tango, Vanity Tango and "Oh Yeah."

April 26, 2002: I've finished scanning all my Skate the Nation photos at they'are up at http://www.scratchspin.com. I'll be adding some of them to the galleries here next week.

April 19, 2002: The eastern half of Skate the Nation has jsut wrapped up, and once again Brian proved an excellent choreographer for the tour! Here's a mini-review from the Peterborough/Kingston/Belleville stops.

The show opened with the cast in the black and gold old SOI costumes and was skated to "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (the 2002 Olympic Theme) The basis for this number is lots of sequential bits of footwork down the long diagonals and in a circle at center ice. Each skater gets a trick a center ice before returning to the group as a whole. Skaters then go to the edge and as each is introduced they skate to center ice and turn. There was also some nice edgework in the program where the skaters are in two lines and the first two in the line do a series of turns then the second two then the third, etc. It was really effective!

Brian's first solo is to the ever popular "Sir Duke" and as usual the program was very high energy and had the crowd clapping along. He's really taken this program and internalized so it's really a part of him and it shows in the performances.

Next up for Brian was a short routine to "Beyond The Sea" complete with Brian in while sailor suit and hat! It's a lighthearted program that has some nice turning footwork bits and double axels. It works as a lead-in to the group number set to "Swell Party." Costumes are from the "Mambo Jambo" SOI finale a few years ago. It's a cute number that's got some nice dual footwork and jumps from Brian & Alexei Yagudin.

In the second half Brian skates to the incredibly moving "This Year's Love" and it brought the audience to their feet (and nearly to tears) every night! The program begins with a huge open axel that is just incredible. The whole program just flows effortlessly from move to move and includes two gorgeous camels spins, including my favorite, the one with the arms behind almost like wings.

The finale is a medley by Daft Punk, and is probably Brian's best choreographic effort to date. The cast starts out all in black with sunglasses and does number unison arm movements and footwork patterns before breaking off to give each skater a highlight trick. Brian ends up doing a series of four Russian splits. As the music changes to "One More Time", most of the cast skates off, except for Brian and the ladies who pause to tear away Brian's outer black clothing to reveal the purple shirt and pants (the 97-98 SOI finale costumes). He then does some solo footwork before being rejoined by the cast now all in the colored costumes. The nice thing about this finale is that it builds and builds right until the finale movement - very effective!

Site updates include a number of historical additions to The List and Program Deatils. Photos from Skate the Nation coming soon! Other news is that for the Canadian Stars on Ice tour Brian will be performing just the one routine to "Somewhere In Time."

April 4, 2002: The eastern part of the Skate the Nation tour is underway and reviews of the show so far have been very favorable. Brian's two solo numbers are "Sir Duke" and "This Year's Love". Along with the opening and closing there is a group number that features Brian skating in a sailor suit! Again this year Brian was the show's choreographer. The photo gallery has also been updated with seven new images!

March 14, 2002: Small updates to just about every page on the site, the highlight being nine new photos in the 2000 and 2001 galleries.

January 27, 2002: Several photos from the Holiday Festival on Ice added.

January 4, 2002: Seven new photos from the Hallmark Skaters' Championship added and a bunch of smaller updates to just about every page (new Details, new Links, etc..).

December 28, 2001: Twelve photos from the Hallmark Skaters' Championship and one new quote added. The big Brian news this update is that this will be Brian's last year touring with Canadian Stars on Ice. But not to worry, this doesn't mean the end of Brian's touring plans - he's leaving CSOI to focus more on the Skate the Nation tour which he both choreographs and directs.

December 20, 2001: The TV & Print section of the website is now open! Follow the link under "His Skating". Also some more cast members to Skate the Nation and Winterlude added to the Schedule and The List updated with US Stars on Ice group numbers.

December 13, 2001: Brian has kept up his streak of excellent skating - turning in two fantastic programs at the Holiday Festival on Ice in Sarnia. His first number was the always high energy "Sir Duke" that had the audience clapping along from the very begining. Wonderful 3toe, 3sal, two 2axels, backflip and all topped off with some pretty spiffy footwork. The second half had him doing his "Somewhere in Time" routine (choreographed by Anne Shelter) with opening figures, backflip-3toe, 3sal, 2toe, delayed axel and two 2axels. But the program is all about edges and once again Brian delivered. Along with his solos, Brian was also in the two group numbers to "Happy Holidays" and "Christmas Eve." As if that wasn't enough Brian choreographed the opening, closing and the ensembles "The Wise Mens's Journey" and "Santa Baby" (which features Jason as Santa Claus!), and directed the whole show - he was one busy skater. Photos from the event will follow as soon as your webmaster gets back from the Grand Prix Final and gets some sleep.

December 9, 2001: Brian followed up his Canadian Open win with two more fantastic programs at the Hallmark Skaters' Championship in Washington DC this weekend. For his technical program he used the high energy "Sir Duke" and while the jumps were a little scratchy on the landings, they were all clean - 3sal, 3toe, backflip, 2axel are those I recall. For his artistic he used "Somewhere in Time" and was just as amazxing as the version in Ottawa. This time he landed the second 3toe but singled the following axel. But the backflip-3toe combo was huge and he alao had a great 3sal, 2axel and delayed axel.
There's a new event on the schedule - Art on Ice in Switzerland at the end of January, see the Schedule for more details. Next up for Brian is the Holiday Festival in Sarnia on December 12th (yes your fearless webmaster will be there!). Brian is the choreographer for this event and promises a good show - including a visit from Santa! Nine new photos added to the gallery from the Canadian Open.

December 7, 2001: Dates for the first half of the Skate the Nation tour have been announced and go onsale on December 8th. The tour is split in half this year with the first dates in Ontario coming before the Canadian Stars on Ice tour and other provinces to be scheduled afterwards. Program Details page updated with info from Canadian Open. Photos from the Canadian Open can be found at my Scratchspin.com site - I'll get them added to the gallery here later this month. This weekend Brian will be competing at the Hallmark Skater's Championships - good luck Brian!

December 5, 2001: Two articles on the Canadian Open added:
"Orser Suprises Even Himself with Win"
"Orser and Chouinard win Sears Open singles titles"
On the CTV coverage Brian, Kurt, Elvis and Emmanuel did a new "4 Amigos" interview session. See the transcript Kirsten did for her Kurt site. Also two great quotes added to the Quotes page. Word has it that Brian is currently in Philadelphia doing commentary for the American Open that will be televised on local Philly tv: CN8 on December 15th from 8-10pm. The tour schedule is now available for Canadian Stars on Ice and tickets are onsale. This weekend Brian will be competiting at the Hallmark Skater's Championships here in DC. We wish him the best of luck!

December 3, 2001:
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Brian won the 2001 Sears Canadian Open this past weekend in Ottawa!
Mini-Review:
          SP: "Concerto de Aranjuez" Same music as last year but some different choreography/elements and costume (black pants and gray open neck shirt - previously used for "This Years Love" on Josee's tour). He did a 3toe-2to2, 3sal, 2 axel for the jumps which were easier than the other guys but all of them were just textbook examples of what those jumps should look like. Most interesting was that I thought his sit spins were lower than I've ever seen them! Great footwork as usual! The thing about this program is that there was 100% commitment on Brian's part to the feel of the music and it's integration with the skating. There wasn't a beat that wasn't used and I think this might be one of the most "complete package" performances by Brian in a while. It was simply mezmerizing! He was 4th in the SP.
          IF - "Somewhere in Time" Brian's got a new costume for this new program (and he even helpfully pointed this out to me during the warmup!) of beige pants (which for those who are curious happen to be Yagudin's from the CSOI tour!), creme banded collar silk shirt, brown and tan diamond pattern sweater vest and brown and tan boot covers designed like spats. The program is a development of the one he and Yuka did for Kurt's special and includes at least 2 complete figures. The jumps were backflip-3toe combo, 2toe, 3sal and I think 3 2axels. But the jumps aren't really what the programs about. Instead it's all about edges and movements that flow one into the other. The 1914ish music gave it that old time feel and the long edges and figures just highlighted the theme. As usual Brian's camel spins were beautiful with some lovely arm positions. It was another program where all the beats of the music were used and to me a real match for the concept of Interpretive Free. Granted I'm incredibly biased, but I found the program entirely mezmerizing and I couldn't believe that it was time for it to end when it seemed only to have just started. Between this and his SP, I think it's one of the best competitive outings from Brian. Both were complete packages and Brian's confidence and mastery of his edges was just beautiful to behold.
          Final comments: Now in front of me in the judges area there's a monitor showing the CTV feed. Well as Kurt is waiting for his marks, the camera is showing Brian backstage and he's got both hands over his mouth and is looking incredibly pale and rather nervous - almost as nervous looking as back in Calgary! After the marks go up, on screen you can see them interviewing Brian and him trying his best not to burst into tears of joy. Then they cut to Debbie and Rod and Debbie's looking almost as tearful as Brian! This is only his second ever professional win - the last one being the 1989 North American Men's Professional Skating Championships. When the men came out for their bows, the crowd gave Brian this huge standing ovation and you could tell that he was just so incredibly happy at that moment. At the press conference afterward Brian was said to have made some quips about 'how it'd only taken him 20 years to win an event with his figures' LOL!
          Lastly, according to Lisa of Spotlight on Skating, Brian's program was brought to him by a woman who used to be "Queen of the Figures" (I forget her exact name) and Brian fans are in for a treat as she's going to have him on the cover of the June issue!
          Photos and articles about the event are coming soon!

November 29, 2001: Ticket info for Newmarket show added to schedule page. Also there's a small bit on Brian in a Canada.com article about the Canadian Open this weekend. Look forward to photos from the event when I get back!

November 26, 2001: Tickets are now on sale for the Winterlude Ice Champions show on February 15th in Ottawa. Onsale online at ticketmaster.ca, just search on "winterlude." Still no word on who the remainder of the cast may be.

November 12, 2001: A recent article on the Holiday Festival on Ice had this to say: "As the show's choreographer, Brian Orser is especially excited. "It's fun! We start out and close the show in an ensemble to holiday music, and in between we get to choose...it's a mixture of our favourite festive and popular music." Looks like we'll have an extra treat of not just seeing Brian skate, but seeing some of his choreography too! SportsNet is having a poll for the Greatest Canadian Skater at http://www.sportsnet.ca/skating/index.shtml and it's a choice between Brian, Kurt Browning and Elvis Stojko - get out there and vote! You can see photos from Kurt Browning's Gotta Dance at scratchspin.com. Also a few new television times added to the Schedule.

November 8, 2001: Two new events have been confirmed for Brian this winter. The first is the City of Newmarket 20th Anniversary Show on Dec 22nd in Newmarket, Ontario, and the second is the Winterludes Skating Show on Feb 15th in Ottawa, Ontario.
Brian turned in three excellent performances in Vancouver on October 26th at Kurt Browning's Gotta Dance. The first was a duet with Yuka Sato to "Pachabel's Canon in D" that was all about edges and turns. The two matched wonderfully and it was nice to see those long sweeping edges flow seemlessly one into the other. His next number was a duet of sorts with veteran dancer/choreographer Tommy Tune to "Nowaday." It started with Brian skating the entire ice surface while Tommy danced on stage and ended with some matching footwork sequences with Tommy on stage and Brian in front of it on the ice. Post-show Tommy spoke glowingly of how much fun it was to put the number together with Brian. In the second half Brian brought out the high energy "Sir Duke" which was just as good as always.

October 20, 2001: The reviews from Aretha's Soul and Ice are in and it seems that Brian was incredibly busy in the show! Brian had a wonderful solo number to "Skylark" that is vintage Brian - lots of edgework! He also skated a funky dance beat number with Lu Chen, a duet to "Baby I Love You" with Caryn Kadavy, a group number to "Silent Night" with Aretha singing, and a group finale to "Freeway of Love"! Brian also got to emcee the retakes. Good news for Brian fans - in a recent SLAM! Sports article Brian indicated that while his career is winding down he's not ready for retirement yet! In February CBC will be airing a pre-Olympic documentary called "Maintaining the Edge" which will review "the near-misses of Brian Orser, Kurt Browning, Elizabeth Manley, Elvis Stojko and others, and looks at Canada's prospects at the upcoming Games." Also four new photographs and updates to Did You Know, The List and Program Details.

October 3, 2001: The Josee Farewell tour is currently under way and Brian has skated wonderfully at all stops so far! His two solo's are "Me Muero Me Muero" (first performed at StarSkates Latin last season) and "This Year's Love." He also has a part in "The Rack" which is a tribute Josee does to old signature programs (he 'helps' with 'Prima Donna' and 'Humoresque') plus an opening to a Neil Diamond Medley and closing to "Together We Go". On the schedule front, Sarnia has been confirmed for the Holiday Festival on Ice. Also nine new photographs in the gallery and there are updates to many other pages as well!

September 26, 2001: Three new photos from 1991-1992 added to the gallery. Brian is now confirmed for the Canadian Open in Ottawa. Several smaller updates to Shows and The List, including the info that at Summernight on Ice in August he skated to "This Year's Love" and "Sir Duke".

September 20, 2001: Tickets are now on sale for Aretha's Soul and Ice direct from FOxwood Casinos by phone: 1-800-200-2882 or 860-312-3352. Ticket prices: $55, $66

September 10, 2001: Skaters announced for Aretha's Soul & Ice, several program updates to The List and Program Details plus new photos in the 1984, 1987 and 1995 galleries.

August 28, 2001: Reports in from the "Summernight on Ice" shows are that Brian skated wonderfully and is looking in fantastic shape! After coming back from Europe Brian skated this past weekend in Sun Valley using "This Year's Love" and "Sir Duke." He's now back in Ottawa training for the upcoming season. Schedule-wise the dates for Skate the Nation and Canadian Stars on Ice are now out and it seems that tickets for Hallmark Pros went on sale on 8/25. Also lots of updates to: Program Details, Links, Programs, Quotes, Shows, and The List pages!

August 14, 2001: You name it and it's been updated on this go-around! We've got four new photos in the galleries, new links to more photos and fun stuff, as well as additions to: Program Details, Competitve History, Did You Know?, Programs and The List. So take a look around!

August 7, 2001: Brian has been confirmed for several new events this season: Josee's Farewell Tour, Aretha on Ice, Hallmark Skaters Championship and the Holiday Festival on Ice - see the schedule page for details.

August 1, 2001: A bunch of little updates all over the site this update. First off tickets for Kurt's Special go onsale August 11th and there have been a few additions to the cast - details on the Schedule page. Also added were a few new quotes, some links to Orser stuff other places, some new appearances to The List and three photos from the 1998 Great Skate Debate.

July 19, 2001: Welcome to the all-new Brian Orser: Canadian Excellence! We've got a new url, a new look and a lot of new information! Just about every section has new information, so take a minute to look around.

May 4, 2001: It's been a while since my last update (too much travelling for events!) so I tried to make this update a good one! Photos from both Skate the Nation and Canadian Stars Ice were added to the gallery, new song links added to the music page and a few other miscellaneous updates.
Worlds: This was an interesting event for Orser fans as there was both the Gabereau show appearance and the new biography film at Skatefest. Added to that was Brian's comments that the routine he'd originally created for Elvis' long program was nothing like the program Elvis actually skated. Looks like we'll have to wait a while longer to see more of Brian's choreography for skaters.
Skate the Nation: This was Brian's first big trial as a tour choreographer and he didn't disappoint. The group numbers showed he learned something about how to showcase skaters and groups without losing one for the other. For his two programs he used "Against All Odds" and "Sir Duke."
Canadian Stars on Ice: As ususal, Brian was a big hit on the Canadian tour with both his "Against All Odds" and "Sir Duke" numbers. He had a few jump problems at various stops (that pesky blackflip-3toe was often a backflip-2toe, but not once did they affect the flow the program. Footwork was incredible and possibly even better than before. His role in the "Tunnel Vision" group number had him nicknamed 'Daddy' because he's been with the tour so long. But he then gives it up to be 'Papa' and has some 'new moves' complete with light-up pants!
Summer Plans: It won't be entirely RnR for Brian, instead he'll be doing several teaching seminars this summer at local clubs. Your fearless webmaster will be attending one on May 19th in Maryland (though strictly as a spectator!) and it will be interesting to see Brian's teaching methods.

March 8, 2001: Brian TV Alert! Brian will be appearing soon on the "Vicki Gabereau Show", and you can be a part of the live studio audience! He will be one of Vicki's guests on Monday, March 19, 2001. The show is taped in the VTV studios (750 Burrard Street in downtown Vancouver). If you live in the Vancouver area, and would like to join us that day from 10:45am-1:30pm, please call (604)609-5766 to arrange for FREE TICKETS. Those who cannot attend the taping that day or who live in other parts of Canada can watch the show when it airs on Wednesday, March 21st on CTV.

February 19, 2001: Good news for those going to Worlds, as part of Skatefest they will be debuting three new biography specials - one of which is about Brian. There will also be premiere screenings for each that include a question and answer session (Brian's is on March 22nd). More information can be found at http://cfsa.ca/english/press/2001/feb7.jpg" TARGET="window_new. Also the Canada Post unveiled a new series of stamps, and Brian was on hand to debut the stamp depicting Mens Singles (contrary to rumor, the stamp is *not* of Brian, but is a general depiction of mens skating, especially since the stamp shows an outside spread eagle - a move Brian cannot do!) Several new vintage photos from 1983-84 were added to the Gallery!

February 5, 2001: Another Brian event has been added to the schedule! It's "2001 A Skating Odyssey" in Brampton, Ontario on February 23rd. Full details on the Schedule page!

February 1, 2001: A few assorted updates this time. More information was added to the Schedule about Katarina's "Kisses on Ice" show. Also Brian appeared on the January 31st episode of "Twice in a Lifetime" portraying a skating coach. Check your local listings for PAX-TV and CTV for a repeat airing. If you haven't seen the new Target magazine with the Stars on Ice cast on the front (Browning, Kulik, Hamilton, Yamaguchi, Lipinski), you might not have seen the Brian mention. The magazine includes short Q&A with the 5 skaters and under Kurt's section are these two:

Q: Do you have any superstitions, any good-luck charms you bring to each performance?
A: Yes! We call them goodies, and we use them to psych ourselves up. In the tunnel before the show, there'll be a certain song or handshake or touch you exchange with another cast member.
Q: Such as?
A: Brian Orser used to do that thing from "The Three Muskateers" where he'd cross his arms a certain way. It was funny, so now that he's gone, we all do it...

January 23, 2001: Tour dates for Skate the Nation added to the schedule page.

January 18, 2001: Two new events added to Brian's schedule. First up is Katarina Witt's "Kisses on Ice" on March 10th in Las Vegas. Next will be the Skate the Nation tour, eight stops across Ontario between March 29th and April 7th. I haven't seen a complete itinerary, but tickets are supposed to go on sale on January 20th. The big treat for Orser fans is that Brian will be the choreographer for the tour, doing all the group numbers! More information on each event is on the Schedules page.

January 8, 2001: It's a new year and there are some new updates. Thirteen new pictures added to the Gallery from the Canadian Open, Improv-Ice and Boitano's Spectacular. Also a few new quotes about Brian and by Brian.

December 22, 2000: December continues to be a busy month for Brian. At the USFSA Winter pro-am, Brian went head-to-head with Todd Eldredge, but came second skating to "Against All Odds." After that it was off to Las Vegas to perform in Brian Boitano's Skating Spectacular where he performed an exhibition version of his short program to "Concerto de Aranjuez" and "Against All Odds." Next up is the Vail Figure Skating Festival in Colorado.
A new event has been added to the schedule - the Winterludes Ice Champions on Feb 17th in Kanata, Ontario. A recent Josee Chouinard article also mentions a new Skate the Nation tour at the end of March, but no more information is available on either the tour or Brian's possible participation - if anyone hears of anything please let me know!
You can see many photos from Brian's recent events at Scratchspin.com and some will be moved to the Gallery after the new year. As if that's not enough for one update, the Globe and Mail recently ran an article where Brian talks about his Graf boots and you can read it here

December 8, 2000: So far December has been a busy Month for Brian! First he competed at the Sears Canadian Open, finishing fourth. He debuted his new SP to "Concerto de Aranjuez" and went for the triple axel, but fell. For his IF he used "Against All Odds" and brought the audience to their feet with some great footwork. Following that Brian was off to the Improv, where he drew the Opera choice of "O Mio Rossor, O Infamia." Taking a page from Scott Hamilton's book, Brian played it funny and was rewarded with another audience on its feet.
Immediately following the Improv, it was off to the Holiday Festival on Ice in Sarnia where he performed a holiday program to "Let It Snow" and "Concierto de Aranjuez." Due to the injury of Elvis Stojko, Brian is now a last minute addition to the USFSA pro-am in Detroit on December 10th. Following that Brian gets a few days rest before heading out to Vegas for Brian Boitano's show!
Photos from some of these events will be coming soon (as soon as I can stay home long enough to scan them!). Also the chat transcript from Brian's CBC chat after the "Life and Times" is now up here

November 16, 2000: Brian Documentary: On Novembr 21 and 7pm, CBC will be airing the Brian Orser segment of their "Life and Times" documentary series. Following the feature (at 8pm), Brian will be doing a live chat on CBC's website http://cbc.ca/interact/. Hope to see you there!

October 23, 2000: StarSkates IceJam2 in Providence. Brian was a last minute addition/replacement. He skated to a song sung live by 12 year old country singer Billy Gilman. Interestingly enough two people who aren't particularly Brian fans (but not non-fans either) said they thought his performance was one of the best of the night. He had to do one jump retake which *may* have been a lutz but my reporter wasn't sure. (how great would it be to see a program this year with both 3axel and 3lutz!). Not sure what the song was though or if he had a second number.
StarSkates Latin: Brian did two new numbers for this one. The first was to "Mi Vida Sin tu Amor" by Christian Casto. It's a slow and sort of emotional number. His second number closed the show and was a fast number with lots of footwork and dance moves. It was skated to "Me Muero, Me Muero" by Carlos Ponce. It got a great crowd reaction and I was told it would be the "program to watch" when it airs.

October 6, 2000: Some bad news for Orser fans, as of 10/6 Brian has pulled out of the Masters Open in Boise. It seems he is having boot and blades problems and is unable to land his triples. However he is still planning to be at the StarSkates shows and plans to be back competing at the Canadian Open. And to go with competition, he has a new short program to "Concerto de Aranjuez" and does plan to include the triple axel. At the Grand Slam Brian was teamed with Katarina Witt and they came in third. Brian skates to "Against All Odds," "Summer Wind," and "Ebbtide." To make up for the sad news about the Masters, new images were added to the Photo Gallery.

October 1, 2000: The Brian Orser Hall of Fame Campaign has been launched - use the button below to travel to the website for more information on getting Brian into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Reports in from Dreams on Ice note that Brian performed to "Summer Wind" and "Against All Odds."

September 23, 2000: Several addition this update including new gallery photos and some new schedule info. Fans reporting in from the Scott Hamilton CARES benefit say that Brian is looking good and performed to both "Summer Wind" and "Ebbtide." The new issue of Spotlight On Skating (with Bourne & Kraatz on the cover) features a nice two page interview with Brian and Elvis where they talk about working together on Elvis' "Gladiator" LP for this season. There's also a group picture of all the skater's at Kristi Yamaguchi's wedding.

September 10, 2000:This update more info on Brian's schedule. Tickets now on sale for three events: Improv, Masters and StarSkates Latin. Also a Brian quote added to the Quotes section.

August 29, 2000: This update includes three new confirmed events for the Schedule (Masters, Improv, Grand Slam) as well as some additions to the programs and shows pages.

August 7, 2000: Fans who attended the Sun Valley show got a sneak peak at Brian's new number during the practice sessions. The number is to an instrumental version of "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins. He spent a week in July working on the program with Lea Ann Miller. Viewers report that it's got some interesting footwork and original choreography to it. Also fans who attended the Mariposa Gala reported in that Elvis confirmed that Brian did work with him on his "Gladiator" LP for this season. Also a number of small updates on the shows, programs and schedule pages.

July 31, 2000: Another new section now open - this one devoted to Quotations. Also more photos from the 2000 Goodwill Games added to the Gallery. Additionally, this page has been slightly renamed (was .jpg" TARGET="window_new now .shtml) so if you were using the update option button below you'll need to click it again to catch the new version of this page.

July 15, 2000: A new section for Brian's Schedule is now open. Check there for all the info on Brian's known events for the 2000-20001 season. Also eight new photos added to the gallery included some from Brian's technical program at the 2000 Goodwill Games.

July 9, 2000: Eleven new photos added to the gallery and updates added to the Shows-Tours listing. Additionally, as net fans may have heard there have been several rumors about Brian working with Elvis on his new programs for the season. Brian has said in the past that he'd like to work with Elvis, but there's been no official word yet if this is the year for it.

June 11, 2000: As one of the ambassadors for the Canadian Figure Skating Association, Brian is involved in their summer youth camp. Read an article about that and see some photos here. New photos of Brian from the 1997 Holiday Spectacular in Las Vegas added to the Gallery and updates added to the Shows-Tours listing.

June 6, 2000: Brian will be performing at the July 29th show at Sun Valley. More information can be found at: here. Also new this update: more photos added to the Gallery.

May 1, 2000: Lots of litle updates this time around. Brian's new program and link to the music added. Also photos from the Canadian Stars on Ice tour added.

Several new photos added to the Gallery, including some from the Goodwill Games!
March 18, 2000: Several new photos in the gallery, a new link, and some new listings in the Shows and Tours section. Also it seems that on March 2nd Brian was in Idaho and skated at a benefit for Idaho's Olympic Athletes. According to Blades On Ice the event may be telecast at a later date.

March 11, 2000: The new Music section is open and includes links to find music Brian has skated to. Links and shows page updated and a new webring added. Be sure to catch Brian on the Canadian Stars On Ice tour starting in April.

February 27, 2000: The Biography page is now open as well as new photos in the gallery and more!

February 21, 2000: Congratulations to Brian - a silver medal at the Winter Goodwill Games! His technical program to "Dear Father" included his first triple axel in twelve years and his first as a professional! He followed that up with a beautiful artistic program to "Ebbtide." Way to go Brian! Also the Links section of this site is now open.

February 18, 2000:CONGRATULATIONS! to Brian for landing the triple axel in his technical program at the Goodwill Games! For a jump he hasn't landed in 12 years - it was textbook perfect!

February 12, 2000: Good Luck to Brian who will be competing at the Winter Goodwill Games in Lake Placid NY from Feb 17th-20th! Eleven new images added to the photo gallery.

January 13, 2000: The photo gallery is now open! Programs added to the program listing as well.

Home | About Brian | His Skating | Photo Gallery | Event Schedule