Axel Paulsen

Axel Rudolf Paulsen was born on July 18, 1855, in Aker, now part of Oslo, Norway. His father, merchant Johan Peter Paulsen, was an enthusiastic skater who introduced his children to the ice at Østensjøvannet. According to official reports, the young Paulsen won both speed and figure-skating divisions for his age class at a meeting below Akershus Fortress in 1870.

Paulsen's significance lies in his excellence across both speed and figure skating—a rare combination at a time when the two disciplines were not yet sharply divided. The momentum, power and long blade of racing did not isolate him from theatrical movement; instead, they became the physical foundation from which he developed a new kind of jump. This dual training made him a model of athletic artistry rather than a specialist in only traced figures.

His international breakthrough came at the Great International Skating Tournament in Vienna in January 1882. He won the speed event and received an extra prize for a special jump that rotated one and a half times and later took his name. A contemporary account describes the audience reacting strongly to Paulsen's backward-traveling leap and turning finish. He placed third in the tournament's figure-skating competition.

From 1883 to 1884, Paulsen toured and competed successfully in North America, acquiring the period title "Amateur Champion Skater of the World." In 1885 he won both speed and figure-skating events in Hamburg, then defeated Dutch champion Renke van der Zee in a celebrated three-mile match at Frognerkilen before an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 spectators. During these years he set five cited world records across distances from one to twenty English miles and developed a modern speed-skate construction with the blade fixed to the boot.

After his competitive career, Paulsen remained engaged with Norwegian skating, becoming an honorary member of Oslo Skøiteklub in 1910. He later managed the family coffee business and lived to see his son Harry win multiple Norwegian figure-skating titles. Paulsen died on February 9, 1938, at Nesodden. His name remains spoken every time skaters train or perform the Axel. He was inducted into the inaugural World Figure Skating Hall of Fame class in 1976.