It's not too often that a figure skater is thinking about ideas from the philosopher Aristotle while on the ice, but for Camden Pulkinen, it's not out of the question.
"I never thought I'd be taking a class about drama and theater and plays – lo and behold, it's come to be one of my most favorite classes," the 22-year-old said. "It's really fun to be able to say, 'Well, this is what this person thinks but maybe I think differently. Maybe I should think more like them.' Bringing that into training sometimes and trying to attempt an Aristotelian thought or theory behind performing is something I'm trying to do."
Pulkinen's "Drama, Theatre and Theory" class at Columbia University, where he is a junior, has opened his eyes to different ways to present ideas on stage – and of course, on the ice, too.
"I feel like I can directly relate it to my honest experiences here," he continued. "It's unique to hear about something that is very crucial and pivotal in skating but hear in a whole other light and different medium entirely."
When speaking with Fan Zone, Pulkinen was simultaneously preparing for final exams while gearing up for the U.S. Championships at the end of January in San Jose, California. Between writing essays and joining study groups for his psychology, accounting and finance, and drama classes, he was also journeying daily on the downtown 1 train for ice time at his New York City training base, where he works with Alex Johnson.
In a new twist for the Irvine, California native, he is employing a bicoastal training approach this season. Once final exams concluded, he planned to spend time in Irvine with California-based coach Rafael Arutunian ahead of the U.S. Championships.
"I'd like to add another quad into the program, which we're planning on doing," he said of his winter break plans.
The fact that this two-location, two-coach approach is unique isn't lost on Pulkinen, who relishes his newfound independence and ownership of his career.
"What I'm doing here goes against the grain of traditional training," he explained. "It's a different take to training, where usually you would think you would want to settle in one location and train, train, train. While that's true, knowing that I can do it whether I'm in New York City or in Irvine, it comes back to this independence and efficiency that comes from within. Here [in New York], I can't rely on anyone else to get the job done in training. It's all on me. It's nice to know that no matter what the circumstances are, I'm the one that's doing it and I'm the one that's going to push myself. It's a level of independence I've never had until this point."
There were some unexpected challenges that Pulkinen was faced in during his first semester in the Big Apple, such as his subway train skipping his stop. That was a surprise compared to his more reliable former mode of transportation, his own car with the heat on.
Pulkinen's diet has certainly changed, too, he said. He moved from a carefully selected menu at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to a city fueled by pizza, coffee and college dining hall options.
Finally, managing his energy and choosing what to spend time on has been a challenge. There has been a push and pull of where his attention focuses, whether that's in the lead-up to a Grand Prix event or the night before a midterm. Â
"It's one thing to say in theory you want to go to school and attend full time and then it's another thing to actually put it in practice," he said. "I think those little nuances are things that I may have overlooked before putting myself in this situation. It all comes along with that whole life of living like Hannah Montana and having the two halves that I interchange on and off."
But most importantly, he added, "I'm doing this all to myself and I truly want this. At those 1 a.m. late-night study sessions at the library, I want this. This is truly what I want. I want to be in this position. I feel so grateful to be able to do what I'm doing right now."
The seed for this individuality and freedom was planted after Pulkinen's somewhat surprising fifth-place finish at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2022.
"I think after having a successful Worlds this past year, [it was] realizing that's where I can see myself being," Pulkinen said. "I don't have that expectation to be like that all the time, but building up competition by competition. I'm happy that I put myself in a good position going into Nationals and I feel pretty confident about my training and about my technique going into the U.S. Championships."
Winning December's Golden Spin of Zagreb added a feather in Pulkinen's cap, too.
"It was fun to win and fun to be there," he said. "I'm finally at this point where I am a senior skater and I've been in the senior circuit for quite a while now. I'm really starting to feel even more comfortable in my skin and it's a cool feeling to know that the expectation is now that I medal at events and I deliver two clean performances instead of treating everything as experience."
The U.S. Championships, where Pulkinen's best senior career finish was fifth in 2022, will be more than just experience for Pulkinen, too.
Don't miss Camden Pulkinen when he takes the ice in San Jose. To follow all the action, visit the 2023 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships Competition Central.
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