2013 US Nationals Senior Men LP | Page 17 | Golden Skate

2013 US Nationals Senior Men LP

loveskating

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
He was even better in practice!Very solid! Tom Dickson is doing a great job not only choreographing his program but also coaching him.
 

KKonas

Medalist
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
From my interview with Aaron

Aaron’s career on the ice began when he was 4 years old, playing hockey. “I played hockey for 12 years,” he explained, “very competitive hockey at a very high level. By the time I was 16, I was doing AAA hockey.” He made the USA hockey development team in 2007 and was getting scholarships to college. He started figure skating at age 9 and competed in both sports at the same time, but endless wear and tear and bruising knocks he suffered in playing hockey was tough on his body.
“I was having some pain and at one point I couldn’t walk,” he recalled. “I had terrible pain. I figured something was wrong – really wrong. I went to the doctor and learned I had two fractures on my L4 and L5 vertebrae – both sides.
“They put me in a body cast for four months. I really couldn’t do anything – no therapy – nothing. I just sat on the couch and watched TV. After four months, I was able to go to therapy and I was able to go to school.
“It was extremely hot and uncomfortable.”
This was in the summer in Scottsdale, Arizona (known for temperatures reaching well over 100 degrees).
“Back in school in the fall, it was embarrassing to be wearing a full body cast, so I would put a shirt under the cast and a shirt over it. I had a hard time walking. Going to therapy every day, thinking maybe I wouldn’t ever be able to skate again or play hockey, but I remembered what my grandfather said, ‘You can be good at two sports or you can be great at one.’”
“I had already accomplished a lot in hockey – played at very high levels, I hadn’t done that much in figure skating – hadn’t taken it that far. At the time I was juvenile champion (2005) intermediate bronze medal (2006) and 5th at Novice Nationals (2007). I was 16 at the time. I wanted to see how far I could go in figure skating.”
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
I read back in this thread at the outrage over Aaron's win. I don't get it, the guy had a minor spin error in the SP after landing 4S-3T and his 3A. Then he has a minor error on one 3A in the free after landing another 3A and both 4S. Max Aaron outskated the competition and as such, deserved the win.

Jeremy played it safe in the short and was given the lead - a 3 point lead with no quad, at that. He doubled jumps in the long, and had an UR'ed quad with a fall. He was outscored technically by 20 points (SP+FS) by Aaron.

Whether he will get slaughtered internationally is negligible -- and kind of not cool to question since people are essentially saying the judges should have manipulated their PCS scores to make Jeremy make the team. Aaron was the best skater on both days and thus won.

I think Miner and Abbott should have had a skate off at 4CC for the 2nd spot. Aaron earned his trip.

I suspect either a) Jeremy turned down 4CC to do soul-searching as people say, or b) USFS decided not to send him to 4CC lest he place higher than Aaron and Miner, leaving them with a difficult choice. What I'm interested in is if Aaron bombs at 4CC what USFS will do with Abbott -- who still got a 2nd on the GP this year.
 
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Joined
Aug 16, 2009
From my interview with Aaron

Aaron’s career on the ice began when he was 4 years old, playing hockey. “I played hockey for 12 years,” he explained, “very competitive hockey at a very high level. By the time I was 16, I was doing AAA hockey.” He made the USA hockey development team in 2007 and was getting scholarships to college. He started figure skating at age 9 and competed in both sports at the same time, but endless wear and tear and bruising knocks he suffered in playing hockey was tough on his body.
“I was having some pain and at one point I couldn’t walk,” he recalled. “I had terrible pain. I figured something was wrong – really wrong. I went to the doctor and learned I had two fractures on my L4 and L5 vertebrae – both sides.
“They put me in a body cast for four months. I really couldn’t do anything – no therapy – nothing. I just sat on the couch and watched TV. After four months, I was able to go to therapy and I was able to go to school.
“It was extremely hot and uncomfortable.”
This was in the summer in Scottsdale, Arizona (known for temperatures reaching well over 100 degrees).
“Back in school in the fall, it was embarrassing to be wearing a full body cast, so I would put a shirt under the cast and a shirt over it. I had a hard time walking. Going to therapy every day, thinking maybe I wouldn’t ever be able to skate again or play hockey, but I remembered what my grandfather said, ‘You can be good at two sports or you can be great at one.’”
“I had already accomplished a lot in hockey – played at very high levels, I hadn’t done that much in figure skating – hadn’t taken it that far. At the time I was juvenile champion (2005) intermediate bronze medal (2006) and 5th at Novice Nationals (2007). I was 16 at the time. I wanted to see how far I could go in figure skating.”

Thanks so much! What an interesting path to skating excellence he took. It kind of explains his style; he's sort of like an Elvis Stojko type, bold and energetic.
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
Lovely performance. I saw the protocols and was like 3Z-1/2L-3F?! Beautiful deep edges, fluid hands, and excellent interpretation (even looked like a Beatle! :p). His skating skills and transitions scores deserved to be much higher. Too bad about the SP, otherwise he could have even made the national team. But definitely one to watch.

As should his Interp & Choreography scores. That was my favorite choreography of all of the men's programs, and may be one of the best choreographed programs of the year (in a year with mostly forgettable choreography). And skated beautifully. We just had a thread about choreography that was not skated up to its potential. This was. And then some. He's a real find. And Tom Dickson (aha! I got it right this time!) is a genius.
 
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merrywidow

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Aaron won't bomb at 4CC's. Neither will Miner. They may not medal but they'll put out good performances.
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
I wasn't outraged that Aaron won. His jumping is quite incredible - I just don't think there's anything else to his skating. I also don't think Jeremy's scores should have been any different. The sad thing is, had he landed those triples instead of doubles he probably would have come away with silver. That's something he has to live with. But I think if Aaron skates the way he did yesterday at 4CCs, he's going to be beaten handily by quite a few guys who have better presentation and more musicality and more well-rounded skating skills.
 

MasterB

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 18, 2004
There are many of us who are drooling over Johnson's Freeskate, and mostly is due to his beatiful cheoreagraphy. I think its only fair that we equally drool over Max beatiful jumps.
 

lavender

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I think Alexander's jumps are executed beautifully and his movement is beautiful so it's more than the choreo. .
 

loveskating

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
I agree Lavander about alex's jumps .I also want to say how much I love Aaron! He reminds me of a young Yagudin( sp?).
 

merrywidow

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Johnson will need a quad to be competitive. He isn't as great as Jason Brown who just needs a consistent triple axle to move into contention at nationals.
 

lavender

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Love Jason too so I have two that I can follow and truly enjoy. I also kind of like Joshua but that's it.
Aaron doesn't remind me of an artisic Yagudin...he's more of an Elvis imo.
 

MasterB

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 18, 2004
I think Alexander's jumps are executed beautifully and his movement is beautiful so it's more than the choreo. .

Yes, I agree the jumps that he did were great, but nothing different than most of the other guys. The fact that he had a well choreagraphed program, with simple costuming that showed his perfect line and hit all the jumps that he planned with the exemption of the missed combo in the middle of the program, was magnificent in itself.

Now that he found consistancy I hope to see more of him, at least for the next several years. I know he is only 22, so barring injury he can still compete until his late 20's.

For Max, I don't think the best choreagrapher in the world can help him in that department. He is just not built like a dnacer and thats okay, I respect his massive jumps and he should build on that. He needs to keep skating to music that suits him, like west side story (as much as I don't care for it). For next year he will need to be very strategic in his music choice. If jumps is the only thing he can bring to the table then I say, bring them all.
 

MasterB

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 18, 2004
Johnson will need a quad to be competitive. He isn't as great as Jason Brown who just needs a consistent triple axle to move into contention at nationals.

Lets not fool ourselves, they all need the quad to be competitive. However, they all don't need the quad to leave an impression in our hearts. Jason, Jonathan, Alex, and Adam are all capable of creating magical numbers with only a triple axel. Has anyone seen the Cassar's Schindler's list number from a few years ago, that was supreme, and he had nowhere near a 3-axel.
 

loveskating

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Love Jason too so I have two that I can follow and truly enjoy. I also kind of like Joshua but that's it.
Aaron doesn't remind me of an artisic Yagudin...he's more of an Elvis imo.

Not an artistc but a YOUNG Yagudin. Like Elvis? I can't see that.
 

Riemann

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 3, 2012
Yes, a quad is essential these days. Jason wouldn't be the first current skater to do well despite having a so-so 3A, but a good quad is extremely important both in terms of BV and the respect one gets from the judges. The past few years have made that very clear. Jason will need it if he is to ever rise to the top.
 
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