Student-athlete Spotlight: Max Treinen, Nordic Skiing

There are plenty of skiers in Anchorage, but it takes years of hard work and determination to ski competitively and be good at it. Anchorage native Max Treinen has worked his whole life to become the skier he is today.

On skis since he was five years old, Max skied competitively through high school and helped lead his West High School ski team to the state title in 2006.

After graduating in 2006, Max, like many high school graduates, wanted out of Alaska. "I never considered attending UAA," he said. He applied to a handful of East Coast schools, but was then presented with an opportunity to attend a ski gymnasium school in Sweden, which he couldn't pass up. After about a year in Sweden, he decided that Anchorage wasn't such a bad place after all - he returned home soon after. "I got a new perspective on life and learned a lot of new things," said Max.

He chose to attend UAA for the skiing opportunities. "At UAA, I can balance a high-level of training with an equally high level of academics." It's also less expensive than colleges Outside, which is also appealing to him.

Max enjoys every day he spends with the ski team. "Skiing is very much a team sport, but there's a balance; everyone is responsible," Max said. "It's inspiring to feel like you're giving something back when you perform well. On one hand, there's an individual responsibility to do well, but there's an incentive to do your best for the sake of the team. It feels good to be able to deliver."

A team player to the core, Max helped UAA to a fourth-place finish at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in Maine last year. Among his many accomplishments, he gained All-American honors in 2009 by finishing fifth in the freestyle at the NCAAs. He was also named to the National Ski Coaches Association All-American Team in 2009 and was one of three Seawolves selected as "Most Inspirational" at the annual team banquet.

The UAA ski team recently posted a program-best second-place finish at the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association Championships/NCAA West Regional Championships in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Max posted a season-best finish in the freestyle with a time of 56:41.9.

Max is on an athletic scholarship, making it easier for him to give more of his time and energy to his studies and skiing. "It's one less thing I have to worry about," he said. It takes a lot of energy to go to school and be an athlete simultaneously; it takes even more energy to double major. Max, a junior, is double majoring in English and philosophy.

The relaxed, well-spoken skier speaks fondly of his professors and academic experiences. "A good professor to me is not one that assigns a lot of homework or that is demanding, but one who has passion and can communicate that. If a professor can get you excited about something and instill that in you, it'll last your whole life."

Balancing academics and athletics has worked well for Max. "I structure my experience," he said. "I spend my time on the things I love to do. It's a pleasure for me to work really hard." His advice to other students is to find what's important to them and focus their energy on that.

Though Max is considering going to law school someday, he plans to see where his skiing career takes him. "With skiing, there's a window, and it eventually closes. I have my whole life to work, so I'm planning to see where skiing takes me."

Max also enjoys writing, playing guitar and singing. His childhood dream was to become a rock star, and though he's not living his dream in the music industry, it's safe to say that he's a rock star skier.