Jonny Moseley
Encyclopedia
Jonathan William Moseley, better known as Jonny Moseley (born August 27, 1975), is the first Puerto Rican
to become a member of the U.S. Ski Team
.
, Puerto Rico
. In 1978, he saw snow for the first time when his family went on a trip to California
. Eventually, his family moved to Tiburon, California
, a suburb north of San Francisco where he attended The Branson School
in Ross, California. His family would go to the Sierra Nevada every weekend. This, and the fact that he was a better skier than his brothers, inspired the then nine-year-old Moseley to take skiing lessons. In 1992, he joined the Squaw Valley Freestyle Ski Team
and soon won his first Junior National title in Freestyle Skiing; he graduated from high school in 1993 and that same year was selected for the U.S. Ski Team.
held at Lillehammer
, Norway
and became determined to qualify for the 1998 Olympics. In 1995, he enrolled at UC-Davis
but, his education was interrupted by his intense training; it was not until 2000 that he resumed his studies. The following year, he won his first World Cup moguls event.
In 1998, Moseley participated and won the first two World Cup events of the year; this led to his participation in the 1998 Winter Olympics
held in Nagano, Japan
, where he won a gold medal. Later that year he secured the 1998 World Cup Mogul Skiing title with nine wins that season. He also won the U.S. National title.
In 1999, Moseley challenged the International Skiing federation to change their policy and to allow their athletes to participate in professional events, such as ESPN
's X Games
where he earned a silver medal in the Big Air event. Moseley was the first skier to medal in both the X-Games (silver) and the Olympics (Gold).
In 2000, Moseley won the U.S. Free skiing Open and in 2001 regained a spot in the U.S. Ski Team at the World Cup qualifications held at Sunday River, Maine
. In 2002, Moseley competed but came in fourth place in the Olympic Games.
In 2002, Moseley gave the commencement convocation address at UC Berkeley. The choice by the senior class committee was controversial at the time because Moseley had dropped out of college.
He was also chosen to be the traditional post-Olympics athlete host of Saturday Night Live
in 2002, hosting the March 3, 2002, episode of the show with musical guest Outkast
. On the show, he performed a sketch called "Jonny's Journey," in which he went "around the world on a never-ending Dinner Roll" via a green screen
.
Jonny is largely credited with having brought the Iron Cross
trick into the limelight, where a two-planker crosses their skis midair during a jump. This was a radical departure from the old school air tricks, which included Daffies, Backscratchers and Moonwalks (see Glen Plake
).
. Moseley met Rich in high school; the couple started dating in 2001 and got engaged on April 20, 2003.
On September 4, 2007, Rich gave birth to the couple's first child, named Jonathan William Moseley, Jr. "Jack" in San Francisco, California
.
Moseley, who currently lives in California, was the host of three seasons of the MTV
reality show Real World/Road Rules Challenge
. He is part of the celebrity panel of judges (along with Steve Garvey
and Oksana Baiul
) on the ABC
show "Master of Champions
". After the 2002 Olympics Moseley hosted Saturday Night Live.
He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley
on May 17, 2007 with a B.A.
in American Studies
focusing on Consumer and Popular Culture.
On X-Play
, a video game review show on the G4 cable network
, Moseley has become a running gag during reviews, due mostly to the ridiculousness of his dialogue (along with the acting) in the opening FMV
for the PS2
game he endorsed, Jonny Moseley Mad Trix, which was universally panned and contained an oft-mocked quote that sets up the game's plot device
:
Moseley later founded the ICER AIR
big air ski and snowboard event on September 2005 in San Francisco on the street by dumping 300 tons of snow – a clear reference of the above quote. He had personally performed trick jumps as well. The annual event moved to AT&T Park
in 2006.
Moseley is famous for an aerial ski move called "The Dinner Roll". Moseley talked about it during a 2002 speech at UC Berkeley:
In 2008, Warren Miller's Children of Winter was released with Moseley as the narrator. He was also in the movie as he has been in a few Warren Miller
ski movies in the past.
Moseley narrates and skis in Warren Miller's latest film called Dynasty. Moseley also hosts a weekly radio program on Sirius/XM's channel called "The Faction". Moseley was the color analyst for NBC at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver for the moguls, aerials and ski cross events.
In 2010 he was cast on the ABC show Skating with the Stars
where he will be paired with retired Pairs skater Brooke Castile
. Mosley finished in third place as second runner-up. He is currently the host of the latest viral marketing campaign by Ford Motor Company, Focus Rally America.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
to become a member of the U.S. Ski Team
United States Ski Team
The United States Ski Team, operated under the auspices of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association , develops and supports men's and women's athletes in the sports of alpine skiing, adaptive alpine, freestyle skiing, cross country, adaptive cross country, ski jumping, and nordic combined....
.
Early years
Moseley was born in San JuanSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. In 1978, he saw snow for the first time when his family went on a trip to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Eventually, his family moved to Tiburon, California
Tiburon, California
Tiburon is an incorporated town in Marin County, California. It occupies most of the Tiburon Peninsula, which reaches south into the San Francisco Bay. The smaller city of Belvedere occupies the south-east part of the peninsula and is contiguous with Tiburon...
, a suburb north of San Francisco where he attended The Branson School
The Branson School
The Branson School in Ross, California is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory day school with 320 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12....
in Ross, California. His family would go to the Sierra Nevada every weekend. This, and the fact that he was a better skier than his brothers, inspired the then nine-year-old Moseley to take skiing lessons. In 1992, he joined the Squaw Valley Freestyle Ski Team
Squaw Valley
Squaw Valley can refer to the following places in the United States:*Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California, a census-designated place located in Fresno County, California*Squaw Valley, Placer County, California, a community in Placer County, California...
and soon won his first Junior National title in Freestyle Skiing; he graduated from high school in 1993 and that same year was selected for the U.S. Ski Team.
United States Ski Team
Moseley tried but did not qualify for the 1994 Winter OlympicsFreestyle skiing at the 1994 Winter Olympics
-Aerials:February 24, 1994-Moguls:February 16, 1994-Aerials:February 24, 1994-Moguls:February 16, 1994-External links:*...
held at Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and became determined to qualify for the 1998 Olympics. In 1995, he enrolled at UC-Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
but, his education was interrupted by his intense training; it was not until 2000 that he resumed his studies. The following year, he won his first World Cup moguls event.
In 1998, Moseley participated and won the first two World Cup events of the year; this led to his participation in the 1998 Winter Olympics
Freestyle skiing at the 1998 Winter Olympics
-Men's aerials:February 17, 1998-Men's moguls:February 10, 1998-Women's aerials:February 17, 1998-Women's moguls:February 10, 1998-External links:*...
held in Nagano, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where he won a gold medal. Later that year he secured the 1998 World Cup Mogul Skiing title with nine wins that season. He also won the U.S. National title.
In 1999, Moseley challenged the International Skiing federation to change their policy and to allow their athletes to participate in professional events, such as ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's X Games
X Games
The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....
where he earned a silver medal in the Big Air event. Moseley was the first skier to medal in both the X-Games (silver) and the Olympics (Gold).
In 2000, Moseley won the U.S. Free skiing Open and in 2001 regained a spot in the U.S. Ski Team at the World Cup qualifications held at Sunday River, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. In 2002, Moseley competed but came in fourth place in the Olympic Games.
In 2002, Moseley gave the commencement convocation address at UC Berkeley. The choice by the senior class committee was controversial at the time because Moseley had dropped out of college.
Honors and recognitions
Among the honors and recognitions which Jonny Moseley has received is a parade in his honor where San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown declared a "Jonny Moseley Day" and handed him the "key" to the city. He was named "Sportsman of the Year" (1998) by the U.S. Olympic Committee and has been featured on the cover of Freeskier and Rolling Stone magazines.He was also chosen to be the traditional post-Olympics athlete host of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
in 2002, hosting the March 3, 2002, episode of the show with musical guest Outkast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
. On the show, he performed a sketch called "Jonny's Journey," in which he went "around the world on a never-ending Dinner Roll" via a green screen
Chroma key
Chroma key compositing is a technique for compositing two images together. A color range in the top layer is made transparent, revealing another image behind. The chroma keying technique is commonly used in video production and post-production...
.
Jonny is largely credited with having brought the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
trick into the limelight, where a two-planker crosses their skis midair during a jump. This was a radical departure from the old school air tricks, which included Daffies, Backscratchers and Moonwalks (see Glen Plake
Glen Plake
Glen Plake is an American Freestyle skier. Born in Livermore, California, he grew up in Lake Tahoe, skiing Heavenly Valley. He is known for his appearances in ski films such as Greg Stump's The Blizzard of Aahhhs, and for his trademark Mohawk hairstyle, often dyed blonde, purple or blue. Plake was...
).
Personal life
Moseley married Malia Rich, a business manager, on March 25, 2006, in Telluride, ColoradoTelluride, Colorado
The town of Telluride is the county seat and most populous town of San Miguel County in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Colorado. The town is a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River in the western San Juan Mountains...
. Moseley met Rich in high school; the couple started dating in 2001 and got engaged on April 20, 2003.
On September 4, 2007, Rich gave birth to the couple's first child, named Jonathan William Moseley, Jr. "Jack" in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Later years
Moseley launched a web site which sells products with his logo on them and has appeared on advertisements for McDonalds and Sprint.Moseley, who currently lives in California, was the host of three seasons of the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reality show Real World/Road Rules Challenge
Real World/Road Rules Challenge
The Challenge is a reality television game show on MTV that is both dependent on and spun off from the network's two flagship reality shows, The Real World and the now cancelled series, Road Rules. It is currently hosted by T.J...
. He is part of the celebrity panel of judges (along with Steve Garvey
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
and Oksana Baiul
Oksana Baiul
Oksana Serhiyivna Baiul is a Ukrainian professional figure skater. She is the 1994 Olympic Champion in Ladies' Singles and 1993 World Champion.-Early and personal life:...
) on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
show "Master of Champions
Master of Champions
Master of Champions is a show which began airing June 22, 2006 on ABC. The show format was based on a Nippon Television original series entitled World Records. The show was reformatted and produced in the United States by Y27 Entertainment for ABC. The show was hosted by Chris Leary and the...
". After the 2002 Olympics Moseley hosted Saturday Night Live.
He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
on May 17, 2007 with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in American Studies
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
focusing on Consumer and Popular Culture.
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
, a video game review show on the G4 cable network
Cable network
A cable channel is a television channel available via cable television. Such channels are usually also available via satellite television, including direct broadcast satellite providers such as DirecTV, Dish Network and BSkyB...
, Moseley has become a running gag during reviews, due mostly to the ridiculousness of his dialogue (along with the acting) in the opening FMV
Full motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
for the PS2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
game he endorsed, Jonny Moseley Mad Trix, which was universally panned and contained an oft-mocked quote that sets up the game's plot device
Plot device
A plot device is an object or character in a story whose sole purpose is to advance the plot of the story, or alternatively to overcome some difficulty in the plot....
:
"What if it snowed in San Francisco?"
Moseley later founded the ICER AIR
ICER AIR
ICER AIR was an urban big-air ski and snowboard event held in 2005 on Fillmore Street in San Francisco and at or near AT&T Park from 2006 through 2008.-History:...
big air ski and snowboard event on September 2005 in San Francisco on the street by dumping 300 tons of snow – a clear reference of the above quote. He had personally performed trick jumps as well. The annual event moved to AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
in 2006.
Moseley is famous for an aerial ski move called "The Dinner Roll". Moseley talked about it during a 2002 speech at UC Berkeley:
"The Dinner Roll is a trick I developed for the ’99 X-Games. It’s a 720 degree off axis rotation, wherein you ski off the jump, do two full rotations, one on the horizontal plane and the other on the vertical plane. At the X-Games where everything is "extreme" and "rad" the jumps are big, and you have lots of time in the air. The Olympic moguls course is a whole different ball game. It’s steep, with tight turns, and a small narrow technical jump, with an unforgiving landing. The trick was so new that we had to appeal to the Olympic Skiing Federation in order just to do it. We had to show them that it fell within their rule stating "no inverted tricks in the moguls" and also prove that it was not dangerous. After lobbying and video explanation we pushed it through by one vote, much to the chagrin of the European countries."
In 2008, Warren Miller's Children of Winter was released with Moseley as the narrator. He was also in the movie as he has been in a few Warren Miller
Warren Miller (director)
Warren Miller is an American ski and snowboarding filmmaker. He is the founder of Warren Miller Entertainment and produced, directed and narrated his films until 1988. His credits include over 750 sports films, several books and hundreds of published non-fiction stories...
ski movies in the past.
Moseley narrates and skis in Warren Miller's latest film called Dynasty. Moseley also hosts a weekly radio program on Sirius/XM's channel called "The Faction". Moseley was the color analyst for NBC at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver for the moguls, aerials and ski cross events.
In 2010 he was cast on the ABC show Skating with the Stars
Skating with the Stars
Skating with the Stars is an American reality TV show. The show features celebrities paired with professionals from the world of figure skating. The show is based on the British show, Dancing on Ice. The show has a schedule similar to the first season of Dancing with the Stars with performance...
where he will be paired with retired Pairs skater Brooke Castile
Brooke Castile
Brooke Castile is an American pair skater. She is best known for her partnership with Benjamin Okolski. They are the 2007 U.S. National Champions. They announced their retirement from competitive skating in May 2010....
. Mosley finished in third place as second runner-up. He is currently the host of the latest viral marketing campaign by Ford Motor Company, Focus Rally America.