Competitive Highlights
Brian Orser, O.C. (Officer of Canada) eight-time Canadian champion is one of the greatest competitors in the history of figure skating. In 1979, he became the first man to land the daunting Triple Axel correctly (3-1/2 rotations in the air) to win the Canadian Junior National Championship. For the next four years he was the only competitor to land it consistently and it became his signature move. In 1984 he became the first man to land the Triple Axel in Olympic competition. But it was not long before the world realized that there is much more to Brian Orser than a breathtaking jump.
Orser's ability to combine the artistry of his countryman Toller Cranston with the physical prowess of Scott Hamilton, has carried him to the very forefront of his sport. The "completeness" of his skating has not only helped Orser raise the sport to a new level, it has also captured the imagination and won the respect of fans and critics all over the world.
Brian began skating at the age of five. Just four years later his potential was recognized by Coach Doug Leigh who would help take him to the top, along with choreographer and stylist Uschi Keszler. Success was almost immediate for Orser, who soon won the Canadian Novice Championship and the Canadian Junior Championship; eight times he won the Canadian Championships (a Canadian record). In 1984, the first battle royale of a career punctuated with fierce competitions was held. The place was Sarajevo. The competition was the 1984 Olympic Games. The rival was Scott Hamilton. After the first round, the compulsory figures, Orser lay in seventh place and needed a miracle to win the Gold. He almost got it. In a brilliant comeback, he won both the short and the long programs, but fell just a fraction short of Scott Hamilton's point total. Orser had stolen the figure skating spotlight.
Then a new contender for the skating throne emerged, Brian Boitano. The two Brians have been engaged in one of sport's great rivalries ever since. In almost every competition since 1984 they have taken first and second place, with Orser winning the World Championships in 1987.
Going into the 1988 Calgary Olympics, Orser had a 7-3 edge in head-to-head competition. The "Battle of the Brians" dominated the headlines at Calgary with Orser receiving the lion's share of the publicity. The stage was set for one of the most thrilling evenings in Olympic history. Both skaters gave superb performances in what was described as "the best night of skating ever". In the end, Boitano just barely won the Gold and Orser won a second Olympic Silver Medal.
Orser co-starred with Katerina Witt in the widely acclaimed and Emmy Award winning HBO special, 'Carmen On Ice.' Orser starred in a new television movie on ice, "Night Moves" with Witt and the musical group, The Nylons. The show received the Canadian Golden Rose Festival Award and the Gemini Award for "Best Variety Program."
As testimony of Orser's popularity, his autobiography Orser, A Skater's Life is a best seller in Canada. In 1989, Brian was inducted in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and in 1995 to the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.
Brian Orser will not be joining the American Stars on Ice tour for the 1998-99 year because he is suffering from a groin pull, he will be back for the Canadian tour.
Brian Orser Links