April 8 is Spider Sabich Day—a local holiday celebrated every year in Snowmass Village, Aspen, Colorado, in honor of one of America’s greatest ski racers. And yet, most people have never heard of him.
Spider Sabich was the most famous ski racer in America, an Olympic competitor, a pro tour champion, and the man Robert Redford’s character in Downhill Racer was allegedly based upon. On March 21, 1976, he was shot dead in his Aspen bathroom by his girlfriend, French singer and actress Claudine Longet. She received a $250 fine. This remains the single biggest scandal in skiing history, and almost none of us have heard of it.
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Who Was Spider Sabich?
Spider grew up skiing at Edelweiss ski area in Kyburz, California, near modern-day Sierra-at-Tahoe resort. He dominated ski racing competition in high school and earned a scholarship to ski alongside Billy Kidd at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
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In 1968, Spider made the Olympics and placed 5th in the slalom event. He was blue-eyed, blond-haired, charming, and skilled with the ladies—the most famous skier in America at the time. He was on top of the world.
“He was so charming and very sexy. It was the same type of charisma you see in movie stars.”
– Longtime friend Dede Brinkman, Sacramento Bee
Spider moved to Aspen, joined the USA’s Professional Ski Racing Tour in 1970, and promptly dominated it. His star only grew brighter.
“Spider was a babe magnet. Just catching his overflow was fine with me.”
– Spider’s brother, Steve Sabich
Spider and Claudine Longet: Aspen’s Power Couple
Spider began competing in celebrity ski racing events in the early 70s, designed to drum up fans and press coverage for the US Pro Tour. It was at one of these events, a celebrity race at Bear Valley, California, in 1972, that he met Claudine Longet.
Longet was a well-known French actress and singer, best known for her marriage to and subsequent divorce from Andy Williams. Spider was 31, and she was 34. They felt an immediate, intense attraction and became an item almost instantly.
Spider was reportedly earning around $200,000 a year from winnings and endorsements. Claudine was a fixture in Hollywood. Together, they became Aspen’s celebrity couple of the decade.
In 1973, Spider invited Claudine and her three children to move into his Aspen home. It was a jarring transition. Spider had been living as an unruly, partying bachelor, and his new domesticated life was a major adjustment. Naturally, there were conflicts.
She once threw a glass of wine at Spider’s head at an Aspen nightclub when he wasn’t paying her enough attention. She forbade him from attending the notorious ‘Best Breast’ bash in town (the 70s were different). Alcohol, cocaine, and other drugs regularly flowed through both of their lives. The power couple was coming apart at the seams.
“Spider smoked, drank, and did whatever all of us did. Let’s not forget, those were the ’60s and ’70s.”
– Brother Steve Sabich
The Night Spider Sabich Was Shot
The drugs, the fame, and the tension between Spider and Claudine were reaching a breaking point by early 1976.
On March 21, Spider came home from a day on the mountain at Aspen. He stripped down to his thermal underwear and headed into the bathroom for a shower. Claudine Longet walked in behind him, carrying an imitation WWII-model Luger pistol, and shot him in the stomach.
Sabich died slowly. His blood pooled on the bathroom floor. He died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Longet claimed it was an accident, that she had been showing him the gun when it went off. She told detectives their relationship was under no duress.
The Trial: How Claudine Longet Got Away With It
The trial was front-page news. The town of Aspen was in upheaval.
Hunter S. Thompson, who lived in Aspen at the time, described the atmosphere as “like fouling your own nest.”
Cocaine was found in Longet’s bloodstream. Spider’s blood was on the bathroom floor. Four days of testimony followed. The jury deliberated for just four hours.
The sought-after charge of felony reckless manslaughter was reduced to a conviction of misdemeanor criminally negligent homicide.
Claudine Longet was sentenced to a $250 fine and 30 days in county jail, to be served “at a time of her choosing.” She served her time over the course of years, mostly on weekends.
Few believed her story. The media went wild. Saturday Night Live ran a skit with Chevy Chase called the “Claudine Longet Invitational Ski Shoot.” The Rolling Stones were forced by lawyers to cut a song from their 1980 album Emotional Rescue before its release. The pulled track contained the following lyrics:
“Oh, Claudine / Now only Spider knows for sure / But he ain’t talkin’ about it any more / Is he, Claudine? / There’s blood in the chalet / And blood in the snow / She washed her hands of the whole damn show / The best thing you could do, Claudine.”
The scandal wasn’t just ski-world news; it was worldwide. People couldn’t understand how Claudine Longet could have possibly gotten away with killing their California golden boy. The world mourned the loss of one of its last great international ski stars during skiing’s unrivaled heyday.
And then, in what many considered the ultimate final insult to Spider Sabich, Claudine Longet married her defense attorney, Ron Austin, shortly after the trial. They remain married to this day.
Why You’ve Never Heard of Spider Sabich
Given the scale of the scandal, it’s striking how thoroughly the story faded. There are a few reasons for that.
Longet’s legal team worked aggressively to limit media coverage and suppress details of the case throughout the trial. The ski industry, still in the business of selling an aspirational lifestyle, had every incentive to move on quickly. There was no social media, no podcasts, no true crime ecosystem to keep the story alive in the decades that followed. The news cycle moved on, and Spider Sabich, one of the most famous athletes in America, quietly slipped from the public consciousness.
It shouldn’t have happened that way. But here we are.
Timeline
– 1968 — Spider Sabich competes at the Winter Olympics, placing 5th in slalom
– 1970 — Joins and dominates the US Professional Ski Racing Tour
– 1972 — Meets Claudine Longet at a celebrity ski race in Bear Valley, California
– 1973 — Claudine and her three children move into Spider’s Aspen home
– March 21, 1976 — Spider Sabich is shot and killed in his Aspen bathroom
– 1977 — Trial concludes; Longet convicted of misdemeanor and fined $250
– Shortly after — Longet marries her defense attorney, Ron Austin
– Every April 8 — Spider Sabich Day is observed in Snowmass Village, Colorado
Spider Sabich Day: April 8 in Snowmass Village
Not many people talk about Spider Sabich anymore. But in Snowmass Village, they haven’t forgotten. Every April 8, the town where Spider lived and skied observes a local holiday in his honor.
It’s a small gesture for a man who deserved far more. Spider Sabich was one of the great American ski racers; charismatic, fearless, and at the very top of his sport. His story is one of soaring success and horrific tragedy, and it’s one the ski world should still be telling.
Frequently Asked Questions About Spider Sabich
Who was Spider Sabich?
Spider Sabich was one of America’s most celebrated ski racers of the late 1960s and early 1970s. He competed in the 1968 Winter Olympics, dominated the US Professional Ski Racing Tour, and was widely considered the most famous skier in the country during skiing’s golden era.
How did Spider Sabich die?
Spider Sabich was shot in the stomach on March 21, 1976, in his Aspen home. He died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. His girlfriend, French actress and singer Claudine Longet, was charged in connection with his death.
What happened to Claudine Longet after the trial?
Claudine Longet was convicted of misdemeanor criminally negligent homicide and received a $250 fine and 30 days in jail, served mostly on weekends over several years. She subsequently married her defense attorney, Ron Austin, and largely retreated from public life.
What is Spider Sabich Day?
Spider Sabich Day is a local holiday observed every April 8 in Snowmass Village, Aspen, in memory of the ski racing legend who lived and skied there before his death in 1976.
