Skating, Skiing, and Some: a chat with Jonny Moseley

Though he is best known for his “dinner roll”, it was actually Jonny Moseley’s 360-mute-grab and an overall stellar performance that secured his victory in the 1998 Olympics- Nagano, Japan in moguls.

In the sport of moguls aka freestyle skiing, Jonny is credited with initiating the transition from old school air tricks to the new school of Iron Crosses, Mute Grabs, and the aforementioned Dinner Roll—first launched at the 1999 X-games, one year after his Olympic performance.

As a major figure in the evolution of mogul skiing and the freestyle movement in general, Jonny Moseley is also a truly good guy, recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee as Sportsman of the Year in 1998. Jonny has been covered by every form of media from television to film to print, and he represents the most complete and true type of success—that which is based on talent from the top-down and inside-out. From appearances on Saturday Night Live in which he went "around the world on a never-ending Dinner Roll", to hosting MTV episodes, and being featured on the covers of Rolling Stone and Freeskier, he is a personality whose star continues on its well-deserved rise, with a perpetual smile on his face.

So, maybe you’re already familiar with his many accolades, but what is most impressive about Jonny is his person. Jonny and I met in Telluride doing some photo shoots for the Telluride Ski Resort back in 2005. From the moment of our first introduction I was impressed by his upbeat and warm personality as well as his extremely charming disposition. He was energetic, enthusiastic, and open to any information we had to share about our backyard. He bounced around the Telluride Ski Area with a child-like exuberance, taking on any challenge without pause. He was thrilled at the local invitations he got to explore both the backcountry and the extensive on-piste offerings at the resort, and jumped at every opportunity to explore new and fun places.

There is much that can be learned from audacious and courageous people who take on challenges and who, whether they succeed or fail, continue with perseverance and humility. As one of six celebrity stars recently performing on the new ABC show “Skating with The Stars”, Jonny kindly took some time out of his crazy training schedule last week to accept my request for a brief interview.

Interview:

Kim: What has been your journey from the Olympics to Skating with the Stars?

Jonny: I hit rock bottom and then “Skating with the Stars” brought me back from the depths! After the 2002 Olympics I stopped competing for good. I spent the following years finishing school, getting married and starting a family. From a professional standpoint during that time I went on to host the “Real World Road Rules” challenges on MTV, spent some time working as a spokesman in Telluride and Steamboat, all while continuing to work with my longtime sponsor Sprint and hosting my radio show on Sirius/XM.
Over the past few years I started to miss skiing quite a bit and started to reconnect with the industry again and get back to my roots. I ended up reconnecting with my home mountain Squaw Valley where I now perform hosting and spokesperson duties which I love. I also reconnected with Warren Miller where I narrate and ski in the movies which I greatly enjoy as well. Recently I have even come back together with my original ski sponsor K2 which has been exciting.
My wife and I had another boy in May and my life still chugs along as I continue to milk that gold medal for all its worth. A little bit of this and a little bit of that keeps things fun and interesting. “Skating With The Stars” is just par for the course as part of the awesome, random and weird things that come my way.

Kim: Why did you decide to take on this latest challenge? Why is it important to you?

Jonny: Well I am sucker for a good challenge and this was a no brainer. I miss competing and being singularly focused, plus I think skating is really cool and I have always wondered if I could do some of those tricks. It's been like a vacation. To get paid to be coached by a pro for eight weeks in something like ice skating is simply a luxury.

Kim: What does challenge mean to you? What have you learned about determination from the Olympic experience- from qualifying to winning?

Jonny: To me a challenge means opportunity. Having lived outside of the Olympic life for awhile now I have grown to appreciate the clarity that extreme challenges provide. It is extremely hard to manufacture the type of stress and pressure that a great challenge provides. It is equally impossible to mimic the reward that overcoming such a challenge provides. I don' t really have a mantra, but I am constantly asking myself if I am doing everything I possibly could to overcome the adversity on a moment by moment basis.

Kim: In the sports arena, what is your most favorite or most fun accomplishment or circumstance since Nagano? Why?

Jonny: World Cup Titles, an X games silver, a US Open Slopestyle Gold, a segment in the TGR film “The Realm”, Saturday Night Live, and this skating show have been the best moments.

Kim: What is your personal advice to people trying to achieve their goals?

Jonny: Eliminate distractions. Do your homework.

Kim: What’s next for JM?

Jonny: Back to real life to relieve my wife with our kids. Ski in Squaw over Christmas with everyone, and then in February I am hosting the Ford Focus Rally. Then we’ll see what opportunities come next.

With a surprising elimination from “Skating with the Stars” on Monday night, Jonny will be on to the next challenge in no time with his signature smile and everlasting positive spirit.
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