On 8 February 1883 a race was held at the open air rink in Washington Park, Brooklyn, New York.

Paulsen defeated 17 picked skaters, the fastest from Norway, Canada, England, and the United States, and set the following records at the race:[2] In early 1885, he won both speed skating and figure skating competitions in Hamburg, and on 26 February 1885 had a three-mile race against another famous speed skater Renke van der Zee at the 1885 speed skating race at Frognerkilen in Frognerkilen.

[1] Paulsen held the world speed skating title from 1882 to 1890, losing it on 1 February 1890 to Hugh J. McCormick[6] at a three-race meet in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Besides inventing the Axel jump, he constructed the first modern speed skates with a metal blade fixed to the boot.

He married twice, first in 1885 to the Welsh woman Kathryn Williams, the marriage being dissolved in 1890; and second to Anna Elise Nicolaisen (1865–1935).