The professional freestyle skier Jonny Moseley did something unexpected back in 2002. He hosted the Saturday Night Live. It wasn’t every day that an Olympic athlete took the SNL stage, but Moseley had already gained his celebrity status after the 1998 Winter Olympics. One of the most standout moments from that SNL night was the Boston Teens sketch, where Moseley found himself sandwiched between Jimmy Fallon and Rachel Dratch on a ski lift. Fast forward to his SNL hosting stint, and it became a moment of humor and a little bit of irony.

Moseley’s journey to winning Olympic gold was not easy. He failed to qualify for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. In 1995, he enrolled at UC Davis, but the rigorous training schedule forced him to put his education on hold. His hard work paid off in 1998 when he won the first two World Cup events of the year, securing a place at the Nagano Winter Olympics. There he dominated the moguls competition and won a gold medal. Later that year, he secured the World Cup Mogul Skiing title with nine wins that season and claimed the U.S. National title.

Years later, SNL alum Bobby Moynihan, while talking to Entertainment Weekly, jokingly referred to Moseley as his “favorite host of all time,” while Ana Gasteyer recalled the awkward timing of his appearance. “I think he got booked, and then he didn’t win the gold,” she said, suggesting that SNL had banked on him performing well at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. “I think it was literally out of sequence. Like, it was like Olympic booking, and then the poor guy didn’t even get the gold,” she added jokingly.

Unfortunately for Moseley, Finland’s Janne Lahtela took gold in the mogul’s event while his U.S. teammate, Travis Mayer, won the silver medal. Jonny Moseley, meanwhile, finished fourth. Despite the unexpected turn of events, he made the most of his SNL appearance, playing roles like a game show host, a groom at an “extreme’ wedding, and, of course, a skier. His television career didn’t stop there. He later hosted three seasons of The Challenge, co-hosted American Ninja Warrior, and competed in Skating with the Stars. Looking back, Johnny Moseley’s career was defined by his relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation.

Jonny Moseley helped ignite the rebirth of the ski industry

Moseley was already a World Cup overall and combined freestyle champion before he won Olympic gold in 1998. What set him apart was his innovative style. He performed a 360 mute grab in the mogul’s event, a trick that showcased his progressive approach to freestyle skiing. His victory led him to be named “Sportsman of the Year” by the U.S. Olympic Committee. Moseley also challenged the U.S. Ski Team’s policies, pushing for athletes to be allowed to compete in professional events like the X Games, where he earned his historic silver medal in 1999.

His impact didn’t stop there. He went on to win the U.S. Open in Slopestyle with a new trick he called the “Dinner Roll.” He later took the move to the 2002 Olympic moguls competition in Salt Lake City. Though the semi-inverted spinning maneuver didn’t earn him a medal at the time, it forever changed the sport. The trick’s “point value” rose within a year, and the world’s best mogul skiers started using it in their runs.

From Olympic gold to X Games medals, from breaking barriers in skiing to an unforgettable night on SNL, Moseley left his mark on both the sports and entertainment worlds. His influence reshaped mogul skiing, inspiring a new generation of athletes to push the boundaries of the sport. Even though his SNL gig came with a bit of awkward timing, it only added to the charm of his storied career.