Pulkinens's blades damaged in locker in NYC

[surimi]

I saw this tweet by Camden Pulkinen today:


I was dismayed that some fellow skaters (I suppose it was one of them?) can be mean enough to sabotage their rinkmates and fellow competitors like this. Especially when I saw Andrew Dodds commenting below, saying a similar thing happened to him.
I don't think that all rinkmates are necessarily the bestest buddies, and there's the infamous Tonya Harding case which is of course extreme, but still, I didn't think it could get this bad and basically turn into vandalism, at least on the top level?
People who have skated at some point, is this common at rinks, or is it -hopefully- exceptional?

 

[ladyjane]

How sad. I even leave my purse in my locker at the rink, with all the cards used for paying. I am of course only a recreational skater but still. I haven't heard of this kind of thing. I did hear of stealing money and such, but to sabotage blades?

 

[YuBluByMe]

I’m not surprised by this one bit. But that’s because I was an elite athlete myself. I had shoes stolen, uniforms damaged. Someone even peed in my shoes once. To prevent theft and sabotage, I just started putting fake stuff in my lockers and keeping the things I needed the most on my person. Anyways, this stuff happens in sport (especially at the elite level) and it’s more common than you think it is.

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I saw a video one time of a skater in their National Championships, and the whole way through the programme their main opponent's family were at the boards shouting and just generally trying to put the skater off.

The irony is that the skater whose family was doing the heckling seems really nice.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I saw this tweet by Camden Pulkinen today:


I was dismayed that some fellow skaters (I suppose it was one of them?) can be mean enough to sabotage their rinkmates and fellow competitors like this. Especially when I saw Andrew Dodds commenting below, saying a similar thing happened to him.
I don't think that all rinkmates are necessarily the bestest buddies, and there's the infamous Tonya Harding case which is of course extreme, but still, I didn't think it could get this bad and basically turn into vandalism, at least on the top level?
People who have skated at some point, is this common at rinks, or is it -hopefully- exceptional?

When I was skating in my teens, sabotage was actually a thing. I'll never forget how at one competition, one of my competitors found that someone had actually unscrewed his blades from his boots. Ever since then I've been super paranoid and always kept an eye on my stuff and gave my belongings to a parent or friend while I competed. Even nowadays at my rink there have been thefts and break-ins to the locker rooms and a woman had her phone stolen a couple months ago, so I always change and take everything (phone/wallet, street clothes, even my shoes) out to the boards. Sorry to hear about Camden but glad he's okay. People really suck sometimes.

 

[lariko]

I thought it was common, so the skaters didn’t leave skates, costumes and water bottles unattended. It’s a tight competition in a tiny field between humans, so…

 

[figureskatingandrainbows]

What sucks is that almost all international skaters seem to be genuinely kind people who thrive off of the experience of competition. I would speculate that many skaters would feel disappointed if they won because someone else was sabotaged. They support and respect the talents of each skater competing. Even Yuzu and Nathan, who had a supposed "rivalry", were constantly talking about how incredible the other athlete was. The amount of kindness, learning, and friendly competition I've seen from the top-level skaters is something we all should learn from. The fact that national-level skaters choose to engage in harmful behaviour rather than follow their idols' examples is incredibly disheartening. Although I'm not surprised to hear that this is common, I expected better from athletes at such a high caliber. Camden seems like a genuinely great guy, and the fact that someone would sabotage him, who finished 5th at Worlds and is one of the best skaters in the world, is just absurd. There is also the chance that this was someone looking for money in the lockers who then intentionally or unintentionally damaged the blades, but it's still a crappy thing to do.

 

[surimi]

The amount of kindness, learning, and friendly competition I've seen from the top-level skaters is something we all should learn from. The fact that national-level skaters choose to engage in harmful behaviour rather than follow their idols' examples is incredibly disheartening.

If only this was limited to national-level skaters. But take a look at Dodds' tweet below Camden's. Skating boots vandalism happened to him during a brief bathroom break at *Four Continents*, in which only top level athletes participate. It must have been one of his rivals, or a member of their coaching team. I doubt it was the venue staff. That is, the very people who look so kind and amicable in front of cameras :[ Very disheartening that not even the highest level skaters are spared these experiences.

 

[Amei]

If only this was limited to national-level skaters. But take a look at Dodds' tweet below Camden's. Skating boots vandalism happened to him during a brief bathroom break at *Four Continents*, in which only top level athletes participate. It must have been one of his rivals, or a member of their coaching team. I doubt it was the venue staff. That is, the very people who look so kind and amicable in front of cameras :[ Very disheartening that not even the highest level skaters are spared these experiences.

It could have been a competitor's fan... think of some of the past behavior that's been talked about, unfortunately it would not surprise me if 1 day there's a news article about a Tonya- Nancy 2.0 incident with the assailant being a fan

 

[Skater Boy]

I hope everything worked out. So sad to hear this happening.

 

[surimi]

It could have been a competitor's fan... think of some of the past behavior that's been talked about, unfortunately it would not surprise me if 1 day there's a news article about a Tonya- Nancy 2.0 incident with the assailant being a fan

If it was a fan in Dodds' case, then it's doubly scary, because how did they get backstage, and how was the security protecting the skaters' privacy at such a major event? I may be mistaken, but I think skaters don't carry their boots to the public spaces of ice rinks?

 

[yesterday]

Oh dear.. but is taking everything to the boards really a solution? If everybody did it, there'd be no place to walk around anymore. Sad.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Oh dear.. but is taking everything to the boards really a solution? If everybody did it, there'd be no place to walk around anymore. Sad.

Most upper level to elite skaters do take phones, tissues and many more things to the boards with them already, coaches watch it while on practice ice at own rink and/or competitive practice. It's really not a huge deal, it's been done for a very long time.

I'm not sure what you meant by "there'd be no place to walk around anymore." Could you please clarify?

Anyway, this does happen competitive and so on. You get jealous skaters or parents and you learn not to leave your equipment laying around, in a locker, etc. You or coach have your stuff or another trusted member of your coaching/choreo team. Otherwise, you are just asking for something bad to happen. It sucks, but it's competitive sport. I feel really bad for Camden and hope he can get things fixed up, and never do this again. Most of the time in elite level, it's not as bad and we are all friendly and trust each other enough, but he is training in a new place so this is just bad all around.

 

[theblade]

What is Camden's current training situation where this took place? How open/closed is the rink to the public and general thieves versus sabotage targeting a specific skater? (Is it possibly an asshole thief, who, when they didn't find anything valuable enough to steal, vandalized something so clearly personal to their random victim that obviously only said victim could use? Or was Camden specifically targeted - ie. no other lockers were disturbed. The theory that it could be the fan of an opponent sadly could be as plausible as anything else.)

 

[2sk8]

What is Camden's current training situation where this took place? How open/closed is the rink to the public and general thieves versus sabotage targeting a specific skater? (Is it possibly an asshole thief, who, when they didn't find anything valuable enough to steal, vandalized something so clearly personal to their random victim that obviously only said victim could use? Or was Camden specifically targeted - ie. no other lockers were disturbed. The theory that it could be the fan of an opponent sadly could be as plausible as anything else.)

Good point. There is nothing so far that shows this was another figure skater, and it is not like there are only figure skaters in a secured location in this facility. I've had things stolen from that rink too.

 

[mrrice]

I find it truly sad that some people would rather cheat than win with pride. I remember one season, we performed "Come Sail Away" for our Competition Show. A Mom from our biggest rival, just happened to drop an Entire Pot Coffee all over our white silk sails......My Students cried but, their Parents were furious. They found a dry cleaner and paid a TON of money to rush an order for 40 white silk flags. We beat them that night and it was extra special. It wouldn't surprise me if it was a "Friend" of a rival skater and NOT the actual skater himself. I least I hope so.

 

[Anna K.]

What is Camden's current training situation where this took place? How open/closed is the rink to the public and general thieves versus sabotage targeting a specific skater? (Is it possibly an asshole thief, who, when they didn't find anything valuable enough to steal, vandalized something so clearly personal to their random victim that obviously only said victim could use? Or was Camden specifically targeted - ie. no other lockers were disturbed. The theory that it could be the fan of an opponent sadly could be as plausible as anything else.)

I have better questions.
Did he inform the manager of the rink? Did the manager inform the police? Do they have security cameras? Do they have any security?
If not, find a safer rink to train. And sue the previous rink for damages.

Such things become normal if they are left unaddressed.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Oh dear.. but is taking everything to the boards really a solution? If everybody did it, there'd be no place to walk around anymore. Sad.

I only put my stuff at the boards since I train on my own, but most of the skaters on my session have parents or a spectator they give their stuff to, or they're comfortable leaving it in the changeroom. Most of the time there's actually quite a bit of room at the boards - by the boards, I mean, the box where the hockey players sit. If there's enough room for a dozen or more hockey players, there's probably enough room for a dozen bags (usually a free skate session at most clubs is maxed out at 20 people on the ice).

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I have better questions.
Did he inform the manager of the rink? Did the manager inform the police? Do they have security cameras? Do they have any security?
If not, find a safer rink to train. And sue the previous rink for damages.

Such things become normal if they are left unaddressed.

The rink he trains at now in NYC is the best one for his training and one of few rinks he can train at.

 

[Anna K.]

The rink he trains at now in NYC is the best one for his training and one of few rinks he can train at.

And so? Did he (or his agent/coach) see the rink manager to ask how could this happen in the best rink?