Captain Charisma

NEW YORK - With this year's Stars on Ice being a farewell tour for Scott Hamilton, four-time World Men's Champion Kurt Browning, from Canada, can see his own role in the show changing.

"Scott has always had a light and interactive way with the audience," said Browning, 35. "I already happen to have that kind of style. There will be more microphone duties for me and more media duties to deal with."

But he's quick to add that it will take a collective effort to fill Hamilton's void, not just one skater - even if that skater happens to be him. "We all take our turns being the captain," Browning said.

The group is what it's all about.

"We're stuck together," he joked. "We need to make what happens on the ice natural and fun. People want to see us interact together that way.

"It's not hard to step into a cast like this if you have the right attitude. We just want good skating; we want to put on the best show possible, every night."

One of the hits of this year's tour has been the "Chairmen" routine, choreographed for Browning, Ilia Kulik, Gorsha Sur, Steven Cousins and Renee Roca by Christopher Dean.

"We use these stylish silver chairs with plastic coasters on the bottom," he said. "[After rehearsals] everyone's legs were really sore, whizzing around for two and half hours on the ice.

"It's so visually different; I didn't know how people would take it," he added. "But it's always one of our best ovations of the night."

Last autumn, Browning cut back his competitive schedule, and he anticipates keeping that load light again next season, prior to commencing his seventh season with Stars on Ice.

"I'm already talking about some other projects, some TV stuff," he said. "I'll definitely be filling a lot of airtime on TV and not traveling as much."