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Max Aaron

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ICYMI:

A few fun (and new-to-me) bits about Max are buried in the captions of the photo gallery published by NBC on Oct 15. Examples:
- Aaron is a big fan of Mexican food and cooking at home. He comes up with different marinades and says he sometimes "makes a mess out of the kitchen."
- Aaron is an avid golfter
[sic] (he has a handicap of 20) and also enjoys water-skiing, wakeboarding, tubing and mountain biking.
- Aaron, who loves to do Bikram yoga, used to ski to the rink he would skate at in Wyoming when his family was on vacation
.​

And this quote is lovely:
- Aaron has a close relationship with his parents: "It’s a special moment to have my parents by my side whether I win or lose."

Source:
Max Aaron: 'Go big or go home'
Oct 15, 2:15pm EDT
http://www.nbcolympics.com/photos/max-aaron-go-big-or-go-home
(The photos are from last season.)​

#SochiHopeful


ETA:
In October, The Skating Lesson started a series of evergreen videos under the umbrella title, "Breaking Down the IJS."
In at least two of the vids -- the ones on Transitions and Skating Skills -- Max is among the skaters discussed.
(GS does not allow posting of TSL links. Look for the series title on the drop-down menu at the "2013-2014 Season" tab on the TSL home page.)​
 

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Max Aaron interview
11/23/13
00:07:14
Watch a Skype interview with U.S. champion Max Aaron during icenetwork's coverage of the U.S. sectional championships.
http://web.icenetwork.com/video/v31238403

(Can be viewed without an IN subscription.)

ETA, perspective from Coach Tom Z on Max's GP season (excerpt from a longer post-Rostelecom Facebook post that includes TZ's thoughts re Zawadzki as well):

As I sit here in Moscow's DME airport, I feel so privileged to have coached at four Grand Prix events this season for many reasons.

The first being that to attend the competitions with such talented athletes as Max Aaron and Agnes Zawadzki is truly a blessing and a coach's dream.

To witness Max train like a beast at home and take such huge athletic and artistic risks in his Grand Prix debut makes me proud. While I know he carried a lot of expectations on his shoulders and in many people's eyes he did not live up to the hype, he did in mine. Instead of resting on his laurels and falling into the trap many elite skaters do and just trying to "skate clean," he "failed upwards" (see the book, The Talent Code) and in the process showed all the young skaters around the world that it is ok to make mistakes and to never stop reaching until you are the very best. Carry on, Max!


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=495307577234635&l=c6b60ad899
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
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Max is one of the American men in this video (undated, but it is new to me):

Mastering the quad
One jump, four rotations, land it on a quarter inch blade of steel: "The Quad" is the gold standard in men's figure skating. Top Americans break down the jump.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/mastering-quad (3:09 in length)​

ETA (in Jul 2017), YouTube version of this piece:

#SochiHopeful
 

ice coverage

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Attn: Dog-lovers

Heart-melting photo of a much younger Max with his four-pawed best friend :) #throwback:
or

In case the links above don't work, it's #21 in a gallery of 27 photos here:

Also in the gallery, joined by their doggies, are the Shibutanis, a younger Charlie White, and a younger Gracie Gold.​

~~~~~~~~~

ETA, (unrelated) Instagram photo from @maxtaaron in Arizona:
Had a great photo shoot this morning at the Fairmont Princess. Such a beautiful place!
http://instagram.com/p/hW7-raI2Lh/ (Nov 30)​

More photos of Max in Arizona (esp. love the first one :)):

@JansingCo
@MaxTAaron making latkes for Hanukkah. He'll be in the gym & rink later tonight - CJ #delicious pic.twitter.com/crijcouAnR
4:03 PM - 29 Nov 13
https://twitter.com/JansingCo/status/406574066892414977

@emmajade12news
@MaxTAaron signing autographs for his fans... Never seen someone sign sunglasses before! 😎 pic.twitter.com/3Hh534Sw0o
2:31 PM - 30 Nov 13
https://twitter.com/emmajade12news/status/406913493422460928


ETA (in Jul 2017):


I think the YouTube version of this piece was:
How Social R U?
NBC Sports
Published on Dec 4, 2013
Staying relevant on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram can be tougher than an Olympic workout. The best athletes on snow and ice dish their tips on living "social."
https://youtu.be/E8qS_FFuVcY (2:31)​

#SochiHopeful
 

Marisha92

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
I'm going to the Broadmoor Skating Club Fire and Ice Exhibition in CO Springs this Friday, at 6:30 pm. Will try to take notes and pictures (if allowed) Would anyone in the Denver/CO Springs area like join me? It's free.

If this is not the right spot for posting my message, please let me know if there's a better spot in the forum.
Pleas email me if you want to come along: [email protected]
 

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avatar credit: @miyan5605
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I'm going to the Broadmoor Skating Club Fire and Ice Exhibition in CO Springs this Friday, at 6:30 pm. Will try to take notes and pictures (if allowed) Would anyone in the Denver/CO Springs area like join me? ...

Hope that you see some great skating, Marina. :popcorn: Enjoy.
Best to all the skaters, esp. MaxTAstic. :yay:

ETA, forgot to say: Look forward to any of your notes and pics that you would like to share here. :yes: Thanks.​

(Wish that I could take you up on your friendly invitation, but I am many states away.)

Marisha, I think Max would be tickled and honored to know also that after your extensive history with skating, it was meeting him that prompted your very first post on GoldenSkate. ;) You must tell him next time. (I really hope that he and you will have a next time.)

Reminder, if you are so inclined ... ;)
 

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avatar credit: @miyan5605
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Always fun to pick Max out of a wide shot ;), such as this one backstage at Disson's "Tribute to American Legends of the Ice" show. Hope that Max had the honor of spending some quality time with each one of the legends.

ETA, shallow (forgive me) thought: Is it me, or do Max's lush curls look less abundant in this close-up from the event? No matter, as he obviously is a happy :) camper.

ETA, more photos from the Disson show:

#DissonTributeToAmericanLegends

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ETA, two unrelated things:

Becky Calvin ‏@becky_coach
From Sectionals a year ago!@CoachTomZ@ @MaxTAaron pic.twitter.com/pTsZFO5jX2
5:21 AM - 12 Dec 13
https://twitter.com/becky_coach/status/411123670891761666 (#throwback photo that includes Mroz as well)​

#Throwbacks

#2013MidwesternSectionals

U.S. men’s figure skaters move on in Evan Lysacek’s absence
Nick Zaccardi
Dec 12, 2013, 12:49 PM EST
http://olympictalk.nbcsports.com/20...-evan-lysacek-olympics-max-aaron-adam-rippon/

Includes good quotes from Max.​

#SochiHopeful
 

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Photos of Max with fellow cast members of the Disson Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular (the live show was tonight -- telecast is in Jan):
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=707568575934294&l=5103748ff1 (Max all smiles with his old friend, gymnast John Orozco, who was on skates for the very first time)
https://twitter.com/JamestownArena/status/411535255443480576 (blurry rehearsal shot showing Max on ice + a few others)
https://twitter.com/DissonSkating/status/411598490632851456 (rehearsal shot of entire cast)​

ETA, one more:
https://twitter.com/bartconner/status/411954379055321088 (rehearsal shot of cast, incl. Max)​

#DissonSkatingGymnasticsSpectacular
 

lcd

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
Photos of Max with fellow cast members of the Disson Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular (the live show was tonight -- telecast is in Jan):
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=707568575934294&l=5103748ff1 (Max all smiles with his old friend, gymnast John Orozco, who was on skates for the very first time)
https://twitter.com/JamestownArena/status/411535255443480576 (blurry rehearsal shot showing Max on ice + a few others)
https://twitter.com/DissonSkating/status/411598490632851456 (rehearsal shot of entire cast)​

Doesn't John Orozco also train in Colorado Springs?
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
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Doesn't John Orozco also train in Colorado Springs?

Yes, according to Orozco's FB bio (and I've always assumed that Max originally became buddies with him at the Olympic Training Center). :)

Also cool for Max that Nastia Liukin was another Skating/Gymnastics cast member. He has said in the past (I'm paraphrasing) that her success in 2008 in Beijing was one of the inspirations that made him start thinking seriously about his own Olympic hopes. He already had the pleasure of meeting her previously, but performing alongside her must have given the event extra meaning to him as well.

#DissonSkatingGymnasticsSpectacular
 

Marisha92

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
Hope that you see some great skating, Marina. :popcorn: Enjoy.
Best to all the skaters, esp. MaxTAstic. :yay:

ETA, forgot to say: Look forward to any of your notes and pics that you would like to share here. :yes: Thanks.​

(Wish that I could take you up on your friendly invitation, but I am many states away.)



Reminder, if you are so inclined ... ;)

Unfortunately, the Fire and Ice exhibition was not really an exhibition- very few skaters skated their programs (certainly not Max) and they ended it early. I'm hoping that some of their future exhibitions will showcase more skaters and I can post some notes. I did get to hang out with Irina Vorobieva, a 1981 pairs world champion (check out her programs on YouTube), so that was very nice. She's a very accomplished athlete from the former Soviet Union who works at the Broadmoor.
 

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Three great new videos of Max from his sponsor Liberty Mutual Insurance (all published on Dec 20):

(1) Max Aaron: Resolution to RISE
U.S. Olympic Hopeful Max Aaron has one goal going into 2014. Find out what his resolution to RISE is in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0p-rnWA9Uk (22 seconds)​

(2) Max Aaron: Inspiration to RISE
What inspires you to keep going? If you ask U.S. figure skater Max Aaron, he'll tell you the same thing every time. Watch this video to find out his inspiration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoTMJvFpGu8 (22 seconds)​

(3) RISE: Max Aaron, a film by Liberty Mutual
Ask U.S. figure skater Max Aaron what it all came down to, and he'll say mental preparation. It was the biggest performance of his career, and he blew it. Everyone said he'd never fit in. Everyone said he'd never be a champion. But instead of giving up, Max got back up. Now, Max is on the RISE and in the running for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
On his journey to make Team USA, there's no turning back — there's no stopping him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAxq7DTNm3g (2:44 in length) -- thanks to dardar :) for flagging this one on FSU​

This longer one includes some gems of #throwback footage of Max at a very young age, both as a hockey player and as a figure skater. In one brief clip, mini Max even is skating pairs or ice dance with a little girl; he seems to be wearing a cowboy costume complete with chaps. :cool: (The hockey stuff is different from what was in the highly enjoyable montage of a somewhat older Max that US Figure Skating published some months ago.)
A cameo appearance by Max's loving -- and lovely -- parents :bow: is another bonus of this video. Very nice to hear from them, esp. because Max's devotion to them and to his grandparents is a recurring theme in many of his interviews. :yes:​

#LibertyMutualSponsorship

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ETA:

Becky Calvin ‏@becky_coach
Here's an Edea poster of Max Aaron from Italian Nationals. Great photo! @MaxTAaron pic.twitter.com/lZg0zhQtK4
11:45 PM - 20 Dec 13
https://twitter.com/becky_coach/status/414300455171538944

ETA, a better photo showing the poster featuring Max -- Coach Tom Z is posing with it:

#EdeaSkates

Unfortunately, the Fire and Ice exhibition was not really an exhibition- very few skaters skated their programs (certainly not Max) and they ended it early. I'm hoping that some of their future exhibitions will showcase more skaters and I can post some notes. I did get to hang out with Irina Vorobieva, a 1981 pairs world champion (check out her programs on YouTube), so that was very nice. She's a very accomplished athlete from the former Soviet Union who works at the Broadmoor.

Thanks for your post, Marina. :)
Might the Broadmoor have an informal send-off show before Max and its other elite skaters head to Nats? For your sake, I hope so. In any case, all the skaters are fortunate to have your support.
 

karne

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Australia
(3) RISE: Max Aaron, a film by Liberty Mutual
Ask U.S. figure skater Max Aaron what it all came down to, and he'll say mental preparation. It was the biggest performance of his career, and he blew it. Everyone said he'd never fit in. Everyone said he'd never be a champion. But instead of giving up, Max got back up. Now, Max is on the RISE and in the running for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
On his journey to make Team USA, there's no turning back — there's no stopping him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAxq7DTNm3g (2:44 in length) -- thanks to dardar :) for flagging this one on FSU​
[/INDENT]

Thanks so much!



Thanks for your post, Marina. :)
Might the Broadmoor have an informal send-off show before Max and its other elite skaters head to Nats? For your sake, I hope so. In any case, all the skaters are fortunate to have your support.

The last Fire and Ice just before Nationals is always a send-off. I remember they did it last year and I went bozo because everyone said that Josh did his short program so beautifully.

Maybe you just got the wrong night? Lukas Kaugars posted a photo on Facebook from Fire and Ice this week and it had Josh, Angela, and a bunch of other skaters from Broadmoor in (no Max though).
 

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BTW:

~ Max is one of the selected athletes shown in stylized artwork at the top of two of Liberty Mutual's general pages about its sponsorship program:
And of course Max's image also is on the page showing all of the Team LM athletes:

#LibertyMutualSponsorship

~ Edea Skates has a page with three photos of Max from the year that he was the U.S. junior men's champion.
Edea will have a booth at U.S. Nats, which I assume would include the great poster from Italian Nats of Max in his Tron costume. Hope so.

#EdeaSkates

~ And the company that makes Lara Bars is showing some love for Max. After he posted a thank-you tweet for a gift pkg of its products, the company's reply:‏
@larabar
@MaxTAaron You are so welcome! You have a fan in us. :)
7:31 PM - 22 Dec 13
https://twitter.com/larabar/status/414961341212807168

The last Fire and Ice just before Nationals is always a send-off. I remember they did it last year and I went bozo because everyone said that Josh did his short program so beautifully.

Thx for the good news, karne. I hope Marina (among others) can attend, and will tell us all about it. :)
 

Marisha92

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
The next Fire and Ice at the Broadmoor will probably be on Jan. 3, although it's not posted on their web site yet. I will certainly be there, camera and notebook in hand!
 

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A fun taste of Max the musician's talent and skill lasts just a second or two in this video, starting at approx 0:30. Don't blink or you'll miss him ;) as he enjoys his return to drumming :cool:, which was a serious endeavor for several years in his youth.
Alter Egos: Common quirks of Olympic athletes
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/alter-egos-common-quirks-olympic-athletes (2:17 video, incl. lotsa unrelated glimpses of skaters and other athletes from Team USA)​

(BTW, although the footage of Max in this video is brief, it gives a much better sense of his true drumming ability than the even more fleeting micro-snippet in NBC's Twelve Days of Sochi vid. Move over, Max Weinberg. :laugh:)​

ETA, YouTube version of the same video:
Just Like Us: Common Quirks of Olympic Athletes
NBC Olympics
Published on Jan 6, 2014
They may seem like a different species on snow and ice but on dry land and these athletes dress, play and primp just like us.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej_FC3X4pmY&list=UUqZQlzSHbVJrwrn5XvzrzcA (2:17)​

#SochiHopeful

The next Fire and Ice at the Broadmoor will probably be on Jan. 3, although it's not posted on their web site yet. I will certainly be there, camera and notebook in hand!

Excited for you, Marina. Have a great time. :)
 

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Images of Max's trading cards from Topps:

~ Max in his Tron costume:

~ Max in his West Side Story costume:


(The images are from eBay. Not sure whether GS allows direct links to eBay.)​

#ToppsTradingCards

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On IceNetwork's list of most-viewed articles of 2013, the one about Max's win at Nationals ranked #7.

The list of most-viewed articles (published Dec 23):

The original article (Jan 27):

As long as we're taking a trip down memory lane ;), some of the old IN vids from Omaha that are viewable without a subscription:

Interview with Max after his SP:

Interview with Max after his FS -- before he knew he had won the whole shebang:

Men's FS presser:

"Social Scene" interview with Max:

If the links above don't work, they're all included on the list here:

#Throwbacks

#2013U.S.Nationals
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
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Videos from Fox Sports:

On the Record: Max Aaron
Published on Dec 23, 2013
Get to know USA figure skater Max Aaron.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKRaRPB7Fbw (1:20 in length)​

Inside Edge: US Olympic Figure Skating
Published on Dec 24, 2013
Julie Stewart-Binks chats with Michelle Kwan and Peter Schrager [who speaks very highly of Max :), starting at 1:00] about the US Olympic figure skating hopefuls.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDVYRjTC5e4&feature=youtu.be&t=1m (4:06 in length)​

#SochiHopeful
 

KKonas

Medalist
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
Just got off teleconference with Aaron. Said he and Lori Nichol have completely retooled his FS, music changes (still from Carmen), jump layout, and now only 2 quads planned for Nationals. He has been very disappointed with his performances so far and is now feeling much more confident going into Boston.
 
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