Kurt Browning loved skating at Mosaic Place in his return to Moose Jaw.
It’s safe to say Moose Jaw loved having Browning back as he wowed the crowd at Friday’s Holiday Festival on Ice.
Browning had previously performed at the Civic Centre and said there was no comparison.
“It’s a little different. There’s no dust in this place. It smells nice. What’s going on? This can’t be an arena,” quipped the four-time world champion.
“Congratulations. It’s nice to be able to bring Holiday Festival on Ice here. It’s nice to be back in Moose Jaw and to bring some new friends and some old friends and hit this rink. To be basically the first show here is always an honour. You try to bring some good luck with you and christen the place the right way.”
The Holiday Festival on Ice featured 10 world class skaters who performed a series of numbers over the course of the 90 minute show.
After the show, Browning took to the mic and told the large crowd at Mosaic place: “If you build it, we will skate. And we’ll be back.”
It was a rare chance for fans to see world class figure skating in person and they enjoyed every second of it. The skaters appreciated the reception.
“The audience was very warm. We enjoyed skating as much as they enjoyed our show,” said skater Sinead Kerr.
“It’s a lovely facility. It’s really nice. The temperature was great, the sound system was great. It felt like a cozy arena.”
Sinead and her brother John Kerr were the British ice dance champions from 2004-10. John said that he loved the way the skaters were able to connect with the crowd.
“I think they’re ideal, this size of venue. It has a very intimate feel to it. The audience can almost feel a part of the show,” said John Kerr.
The performers also included Olympic gold medalists Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, Olympic bronze medalists Joannie Rochette and Jeffrey Buttle, former world champion Kimmie Meissner, current American champion Ryan Bradley and former Canadian Olympian Shawn Sawyer.
