Max Aaron facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Max Aaron
Aaron during the exhibition gala at the 2016 World Championships
Personal information
Full name	Maxwell Theodore Aaron
Country represented	United States
Born	(1992-02-25) February 25, 1992 (age 33) Scottsdale, Arizona
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Began skating	1996
Retired	April 19, 2018

Maxwell Theodore "Max" Aaron (born February 25, 1992) is an American former figure skater. He is a very successful skater. He won the U.S. national championship in 2013. He also won the 2015 Skate America competition.

Before that, he was the U.S. national junior champion in 2011. Max also won the U.S. International Classic three times (in 2012, 2013, and 2014). He announced he was stopping competitive skating on April 19, 2018.

About Max Aaron

Max Aaron was born in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is the second of three children. His mom, Mindy, is a nurse, and his dad, Neil, is a pediatrician (a doctor for children). Max has two sisters, Madeline and Molly. Both of them have competed in pair skating.

Max is Jewish and grew up in a traditional Jewish home. He once said, "I grew up looking to all those Jewish athletes for inspiration. I always thought the list needed to be longer. We needed to have a stronger representation of Jewish athletes, and I’m so happy that I’m part of them now."

Max went to Chaparral High School in Scottsdale. He later attended Cheyenne Mountain High School, graduating in 2010. He was a great student, always on the honor roll. After high school, he studied finance and communication at Pikes Peak Community College and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

Max's Skating Journey

Starting Out

Max began skating when he was four years old. At first, he played hockey. When he was nine, he started figure skating. He wanted to improve his skills on the ice. He even competed in national hockey events in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, he was chosen for the U.S. National Team Development Program for hockey. He was a top scorer in his hockey league for two years.

In figure skating, Max placed 5th in the novice category in 2007. He was 13th in the junior category in 2008. He kept doing both sports until he got a serious injury. He fractured bones in his lower back. This meant he had to wear a body cast for four months. He also needed four months of physical therapy. He couldn't skate for a whole year.

After his injury, Max moved from Scottsdale, Arizona to Colorado Springs, Colorado. He trained at the Broadmoor Skating Club and the World Arena. There, he chose Tom Zakrajsek as his main coach. Christy Krall also helped him with his skating technique.

Junior Success

In the 2009–10 season, Max won a bronze medal. This was at the U.S. national junior championships.

The next season, he earned a silver medal at the SBC Cup in Japan. Then, he won the national junior title. After that, he competed at the 2011 World Junior Championships in South Korea. He finished in 5th place there.

Becoming a U.S. Champion

Max had a great 2012–13 season. He won a gold medal at the 2012 U.S. International Classic. He also took a silver medal at the 2012 Cup of Nice.

When he was 20, Max won the 2013 U.S. Championships. His free skate performance to music from West Side Story was amazing. He scored a total of 255 points. This helped him win the gold medal. He finished ahead of Ross Miner and Jeremy Abbott.

Grand Prix and World Championships

In the 2013–14 season, Max competed in his first Grand Prix event. This was the 2013 Skate America. He was in sixth place after the short program. But he skated very well in the free skate and moved up to win the bronze medal. He placed 7th at the NHK Trophy.

At the 2014 U.S. Championships, he won the bronze medal. He was then chosen to compete at the 2014 World Championships. His 8th-place finish at Worlds, along with Jeremy Abbott's 5th place, helped the U.S. team. It meant the U.S. could send three male skaters to the next World Championships.

More Medals and Records

Max started his 2014–15 season by winning gold. This was at his first ISU Challenger Series (CS) event, the 2014 U.S. International Classic. In the Grand Prix series, he won a bronze medal at the 2014 Skate Canada International. He finished 7th at the 2014 Rostelecom Cup. He then placed fourth at the 2015 U.S. Championships.

The 2015–16 season began with a silver medal at the 2015 Nebelhorn Trophy. Then, he won gold at a Grand Prix event, the 2015 Skate America. At the 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard, he was 7th in the short program. The event was later canceled due to the November 2015 Paris attacks. The short program results became the final results. Later that month, he won gold at the 2015 Tallinn Trophy.

Max won the silver medal at the 2016 U.S. Championships. At the 2016 World Championships in Boston, he was 8th after the short program. He then set a new record for a United States male skater in the free skate. He earned 254.14 points in total. Max finished in eighth place overall.

Later Seasons

For the 2016–17 season, Max changed how he approached his quad jumps. He said he was trying an "old school" method that was working well for him.

He earned two bronze medals at the start of this season. These were at the 2016 Autumn Classic International and 2016 Lombardia Trophy. He finished 4th at the 2016 Cup of China and 5th at the 2016 Rostelecom Cup. He placed 9th at the 2017 U.S. Championships.

In his final season, 2017–18, Max won silver at the 2017 U.S. International Classic. He also earned a bronze medal at a Grand Prix event, the 2017 Cup of China. He placed 7th at his other Grand Prix event, the 2017 Internationaux de France. He was 9th at the 2018 U.S. Championships.

U.S. Figure Skating did not choose Max for the 2018 Winter Olympics. However, they did select him for the 2018 Four Continents Championships. He was also named as a third alternate for the 2018 World Championships. He placed 5th in Taipei at Four Continents. He was later asked to compete in Milan at Worlds, where he finished 11th. Max announced his retirement from competitive skating on April 19, 2018.

Max's Skating Programs

Aaron at the 2018 World Championships

Max Aaron performed to many different types of music during his career. Skaters choose music for their short program, free skate, and sometimes for exhibition performances.

Max's Competition Results

Aaron (right) at the 2013 Skate America podium.

Aaron (center) at the 2015 Skate America podium.

Here is a summary of Max Aaron's results in major figure skating competitions.

See also

• List of select Jewish figure skaters