Max Aaron | Page 65 | Golden Skate

Max Aaron

I, uh, don't think Max is wearing any padding in the instagram photo. :o: :o: :o: :o:

He is the cutest cutie pie. Also he and Ashley take the cutest pics. His face in the twitter one though :laugh2:
 
karne said:
CUTE MAX ARTICLE ALERT!

SO MUCH GOODNESS IN THIS ARTICLE! ...
Click to expand...

:agree: Thx to Lynn Rutherford for covering lots of different ground in today's article.

ETA: Thx to karne for putting lots of excerpts in the U.S. Men thread. I didn't see your post there until after already adding my reply here to your link above.
​

Not surprisingly, sounds as if the new SP is (as usual) Max's own brainchild and desire, per the quotes from Phillip Mills -- e.g., "I thought it was a great idea he [Max] had."
Hope Max's idea for his new costume works out :popcorn:. In any case, the new SP sounds great (altho' I will miss Nessun Dorma).
Sounds promising that we might see his quad toe and three-quad FS at Nats too. Go, Max :yay:.

Respect :bow: to Max for not saying a word about his hernia surgery until now. (IIRC, it was mentioned previously only by Ryan Bradley and TZ.)
Max had the surgery in late May -- which means that he was competing again a month later (placing second to Krasnozhon at the Aerial Challenge).
Max still doesn't say very much about the surgery, but as karne noted at the time, it was inevitable that his all-important core muscles were affected.
Good to hear that Max finally feels that he is back to where he was.

I enjoyed all the cuteness :luv17: in the article as well.
Hope that Max has a great time powering through a whirlwind of fun sightseeing in one day. Go big, or go home.
And I really hope that he will able to celebrate at least one night of Hanukkah with Jason :ghug: back in Colorado (before the Brown family's annual New Year's trip to the dude ranch). [Makes me a little wistful that Maddie has returned to Arizona, although Max has lots of OTC friends.]

karne said:
... Just...omg Max honey we have to do something about your horrendous taste in celebrity women.
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I hope that he does catch some good celebrity :cool: sightings in New York.

I am no expert on supermodels, but lately have paid a little more attention when I have stumbled across Gigi Hadid interviews, quotes, etc.
Have been pleasantly surprised that she does seem to have a good brain and a down-to-earth personality.

But the only Jenner whom I know to be worthy of Max's interest (as an inspiration) is OGM Caitlyn.

karne said:
I, uh, don't think Max is wearing any padding in the instagram photo. :o: :o: ...
Click to expand...

No question that Max's musculature is strong :) ... but it's that one particular photo's pointy indentation on the underside that looks too unnatural (to my eyes) to be caused without padding?? YMMV.
 
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Great article! So glad to hear that Max knows what areas need work, and he's actively working on them. Can't ask for more than that. He needs to give a sneak preview of his new Snuggle Bullfighter program. Some of the fans from Spain who were at GPF had bull ears on their heads. Would love to know where they got those!!! Max's fans may need them too.
 
Both Jackie Wong (@rockerskating) and Lynn Rutherford are at the Brookfield show, so my fingers are crossed that if Max does the new program, we will either see it, or at least get vivid descriptions.
 
karne said:
Both Jackie Wong (@rockerskating) and Lynn Rutherford are at the Brookfield show, so my fingers are crossed that if Max does the new program, we will either see it, or at least get vivid descriptions.
Click to expand...

Max did not skate his new SP.
I spoke to him momentarily before he skated, and he basically said that the rink is too small for his SP ... too small for his full exhibition choreo as well. (The rink indeed is small. He skated to Thunderstruck.)

Anyway, Max was as nice as could be, as you and others have experienced. Very sweet to see him interacting with skaters (esp. the little kids) in the public session.
 
OMG ice coverage! You got to meet him? Oh, I'm so happy for you! Isn't he just the sweetest?

I am sorry to hear he didn't skate the new SP, but if the rink was that little I can understand it, especially at his speed.
 
ice coverage said:
Anyway, Max was as nice as could be, as you and others have experienced. Very sweet to see him interacting with skaters (esp. the little kids) in the public session.
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When I met Max, he was as nice as could be with the kids. They were pestering him and bugging him, and he was just talking and smiling. He was so sweet and so polite.
 
I was able to attend last night. Glad the rain stopped before the performance but it was very cold and windy, especially right on top of the Hudson river.

Anyhoo, got video of Max's "Thunderstruck" - he landed 2 jumps and fell on his third but got up fast. Kind of disappointed that we didn't get to see the new SP, but thanks to ice coverage, we know why.

Here's another goofy video of Max pushing the MC around on a skating support shaped like a seal (kids (and some adults!) hold onto it for balance while learning to skate). I think karne will like it, despite my clumsy camera holding (my fingers were pretty cold at that point).

Also, I did get to touch his hand when he went around high fiving the crowd! I've washed it since, lol. I did not stay to watch the public skate as it was too cold and I needed dinner :)

ETA: I noticed when the step and repeat got blown over from the wind before the show, Max went over to help put it back. He didn't have to do that, but he's that type of person!
 
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Melissa and Denis posted an album of Brookfield rehearsal photos. I think the photos are from the Saturday night rehearsal.
Max is in quite a few of the photos. All very enjoyable.

The first one demonstrates once again that Max likes to lift :cool: (and has the strength to lift).
Another recurring theme is his excellent smiley-ness :).

apgold said:
... ETA: I noticed when the step and repeat got blown over from the wind before the show, Max went over to help put it back. He didn't have to do that, but he's that type of person!
Click to expand...

Thx for your videos and for your whole post, apgold :bow:.

:agree: This example of Max's instinct for helpfulness :luv17: was happening just as I arrived at the rink. Gave me a very favorable first impression (first in-person impression). A remarkably good guy.
(BTW, thank you for teaching me a new phrase: "step and repeat." Never knew the name for those backdrops.)

Thanks to you and others (such as our friend upnights) for putting more photos and videos on social media. Collecting some links for posterity:

And thx to StarryEyed for a video posted in another thread:
StarryEyed said:
Pssst.... My mom took video of part of his performance. :) (Please ignore my chattering after his jump--my mom thinks every jump is an axel)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1riKayB5GaZ_gZcPon5DEYLamhhReAEeoWg/view?usp=sharing ...
Click to expand...

Glad that Max hopes to come back to NYC soon :yay:. Whether just for himself or for another show, I hope he gets his wish.

karne said:
OMG ice coverage! You got to meet him? Oh, I'm so happy for you! Isn't he just the sweetest? ...
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Thx, karne :ghug:. Have been trying not to gush toooo much :hopelessness:, but I was delighted that Max really does have the snuggliest and sweetest personality :agree:. All-around special person.
I feel super lucky and excited to have met him.
 
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In his latest blog entry, Phillip Mills speaks optimistically of Max's new program.
Sadly, condolences :console: to Phillip are in order b/c he recently lost his brother-in-law to sudden illness :(. But the overall point of the blog post, "Conduit to Healing," is that the creative process of choreographing for Max and others was helpful to Phillip during a terribly stressful time.

... Unfortunately from start to finish, Jim succumbed to the cancer just four weeks after diagnosis.  Both my wife, Michelle, and I were so distraught and concerned that daily life was a challenge. 
During this same four week period Max Aaron, Chloe Li and Joelle Lin had something in common in their lives without even knowing it.  They all received new choreography from me.  Many different coaches, skaters, and parents pointed out how much they liked the new programs and thought these programs had great potential for development. Hopefully they are right and the programs will be a success for these skaters. ...

http://www.phillipmillschoreographer.com/single-post/2016/12/13/Conduit-to-Healing (Dec 13)​

Completely off topic, but I loved seeing this happy moment of Phillip with Angela Wang at Pacific Coast Sectionals:

And changing the subject:

On IN's long list of best quotes of 2016 is one from Max -- in May, reacting to Boyang's quad lutz-triple toe combination.
The sport already has moved forward since then, but Max's words remain on point:
" ... We always thought that we were going to have boundaries. Now, there are no more boundaries. They went out the door."
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2016/12/20/211245450​

ETA:
Melissa and Denis updated their FB page today with another Brookfield photo album. Its title: Step and Repeat. (LOL, thx to apgold, I recognized the term :).)
Max is in two of the group shots.
 
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karne said:
Awwwwwwwwwwwwww, look who was with our SnuggleBat at the Festival of Lights!
Click to expand...

Love :luv17: this wonderful photo. Thx, karne.

el henry said:
So adorable; I wonder if it is recent (it does say FBF ?) Ever since Max mentioned that he and Jason were the on,y two Jewish athletes at OTC now, I've been hoping they would get together. Happy Hanukkah, guys!:)
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:agree: el henry, karne's post of Max's #FBF Instagram reminds me that I had been meaning to bring your early Dec post (:thank:) from Jason's thread over here. It had another photo showing our two guys (and others) at the same festival.

el henry said:
I don't think this has been posted anywhere yet?:scratch2: Apologies if it has, I just saw it on Instagram.

Jason *and* Max sighting at the OTC. Along with other folks I don't know(including the photo taker Margaux Isaksen, whom I have not researched, but is by her IG handle an Olympian):

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNkxh1-DmNj/?taken-by=margauxisaksen ...
Click to expand...

BTW:

At the time of el henry's earlier post, I had browsed around a bit on social media ... saw that another athlete at the festival said something appreciative about how nice and warm their USOC parkas were.
(Sorry, I did not save the link, and now I can't find the comment again. IIRC, the athlete was someone unfamiliar to me.)

Anyway, I was/am pleased for Max and Jason that they have the cool :cool: official USOC swag that also is very functional.

[And ... as someone who is very short and who has very short arms myself :hopelessness:, it made me smile (with empathy :ghug:) to notice that in the group photo, Max's right sleeve seems to be rolled up a few inches ;). #TinyButMightySnuggleBat]​

ETA (on Dec 26):

- On Dec 25, Max was featured in one of the USFS #100DaysOfChampions tweets counting down to #USChamps17:

[Glad to see it after @KansasCity2017 earlier had dropped Max's name, but with a graphic showing Gracie:

- I like the snowmen emojis in the Happy Holidays tweet from Max:

- Max and Jason received a Hanukkah shout-out as "some of the coolest people" from a recent OTC intern:

- I figured out that the comment about the warm Team USA parkas was from wrestler Jenna Rose Burkert, who also had taken a photo with Max at the Festival of Lights in Colorado Springs.
 
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For anyone (like me :yes:) who is easily :laugh: amused/charmed by Max's energy/humor ... I stumbled across two additional videos (which I had never seen before) of the May 26 session in the USOC kitchen with Max's friend Lauren Gibbs of USA Bobsled and others.

Several minutes of archiving from Facebook Live are at each link below (from Lauren's FB page :thank:).

The not-shy ;) Max A is at the beginning of this one -- but keep watching to see Tim Dolensky, Max Settlage, Maddie Aaron, and Alex Johnson (as well as athletes from other sports).

Then the same gang gives a show-and-tell of the completed dishes. Max A plays to the camera at the beginning, and then clearly can be heard cheering :yay: throughout for his fellow athletes.
 
This was adorably cute. Especially the very end when our speedy SnuggleBat was the first one into the food :laugh:

And the accent on the nutritionist lady asking them to explain what they'd done is extremely familiar...
 
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Yesterday Melissa Gregory posted a full video of the entire Brookfield show.


- At approx. 7:55, Max is seen in an introductory section as the performers take turns giving mini-"solos" and then share the ice all together.
[LOL, I had forgotten that later in this group section, "Can't Stop The Feeling" started playing (approx. 10:55). I kept thinking of it as Max's song :laugh: and wondering whether he would break into some of his moves from the Team USA video :dance2: ... but he did not.]
At approx. 12:20, a good view of Max spinning.

- At approx. 20:40, Alexa/Chris perform their program.

- At approx. 24:20, Max performs Thunderstruck. (Unfortunately, some jumping was out of camera range.)

- The finale with all skaters begins at approx. 36:00.
Starts with DancingBat being a good sport and pushing/pulling the singer-guy around on the seal (as previously seen in apgold's video).
Realized that when I was at the live show, I had missed a snuggly :luv17: moment -- at approx. 39:15, when the performers are lining up for the goodbyes: Alexa obviously is freezing and Chris is hugging her to try to keep her warm. Max joins in, and Alexa and he have a nice hug too. :ghug:

Changing the subject:

So we already know Max likes to lift :yes: and be lifted :yes:.

And if my ears do not deceive me, here he is lending his video skills to other "amateurs" experimenting with lifts. (Sounds like Max's voice, I think???)

ETA (on Jan 1):

At this late date, just noticed that as one of its Dec 25 "Happy Holidays" Instagrams, the USOC :cool: posted a version of the photo of Max and Ashley back-to-back in Santa hats.

[A cropped ;) version of the original photo from Ashley.]​
 
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^That is unmistakably his voice in that lift video, ice coverage! :yes:

ALERT ALERT ALERT

SNUGGLEBAT IS GOING TO BE ON ICETALK

AND WE CAN SEND HIM QUESTIONS

Tweet them and hash-tag them with #IceTalk (no @ required). A few good ones have already been asked (Patrick of Patrick Commentates Skating jumped straight in with the "tell us about the SP costume" one).

I had about twenty questions all flop into my brain at once to land in a messy, tangled pile. I'm trying to pick through them. :laugh:
 
karne said:
^That is unmistakably his voice in that lift video, ice coverage! :yes:

ALERT ALERT ALERT

SNUGGLEBAT IS GOING TO BE ON ICETALK

AND WE CAN SEND HIM QUESTIONS

Tweet them and hash-tag them with #IceTalk (no @ required). A few good ones have already been asked (Patrick of Patrick Commentates Skating jumped straight in with the "tell us about the SP costume" one).

I had about twenty questions all flop into my brain at once to land in a messy, tangled pile. I'm trying to pick through them. :laugh:
Click to expand...

Maybe you should ask him if he plans to visit Australia or his favorite part of Australia? Didn't Josh give you a shout-out for that question:agree: You can go two for two!:)
 
Nice photo of Max at the Broadmoor SC's Nationals banquet with Tom Z, Tessa Hong, and Camden Pulkinen:

Speaking of TZ ... today he blogged about the quad axel:
(karne already posted the link in Josh's thread.)
Although the blog is not about Max per se, his work with the harness is mentioned, so preserving the link here.

karne said:
... SNUGGLEBAT IS GOING TO BE ON ICETALK ...

I had about twenty questions all flop into my brain at once to land in a messy, tangled pile. I'm trying to pick through them. :laugh:
Click to expand...

Looking forward to IceTalk :yay:. Hope Jackie uses one of your questions, karne.

I really liked the photo attached to IN's tweet soliciting Qs for Max.

Will segue to another throwback to Black Swan that I recently noticed for the first time. It's a fancam snippet from the end of Max's FS at Worlds. Conveys very vividly how the whole crowd went absolutely crazy cheering for Max. Made me cry all over again with pride/elation for him.
(Jealous ;) of lucky karne that you experienced this moment in person.)

karne said:
^That is unmistakably his voice in that lift video, ice coverage! :yes:
Click to expand...

Thanks for confirming for me :).

Bittersweet :sad4: note for those who are missing Maddie Aaron and Max Settlage:

Recently noticed that the Sprint Center in KC is using a photo of Maddie/Max as one of their signature promotional images for Nats. (The other one is of Ashley Wagner.)

Maddie/Max currently are seen on the home page of the Sprint Center.

And they have been on this event page: http://www.sprintcenter.com/events/detail/us-figure-skating-championships

Plus they were in yesterday's promotional tweet for Nats: https://twitter.com/SprintCenter/status/817874459545702401 (Jan 7)​

ETA:
TBH, I've lost track of all the different versions of KC Nats promo videos ... not sure whether this one was recycled from elsewhere, but I like that it has a relatively high Max quotient :cool::
https://twitter.com/VisitKC/status/817088644838289412 (Jan 5 with just Gracie, Adam, Max, Polina)​
 
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