Spider Sabich

[fomofo]

Film Screening March 14th, 2024 at The Wheeler in Aspen

Spider Lives is a journey into the rich history of professional ski racing through the story of renowned American ski hero, Spider Sabich. This award-winning USSA Hall of Fame tribute film chronicles Spider’s career trajectory from racing phenom to Olympian; from World Cup winner to 2-time World Pro Tour champion, including an epic season-long battle with triple Olympic gold medalist Jean-Claude Killy for the 1973 Pro title, which came down to a final battle in the final race on the slopes of Spider’s adopted hometown of Aspen.

https://wheeleroperahouse.com/event/...s-spider-lives



Good piece on the Kyburz native by one who knew him pretty well...

https://www.dickdorworth.com/2022/03...r-mr-bojangles

If you can get to it somehow there's another in the November 2011 issue of Powder Mag by a pre-Ski Journal, pre-Mountain Gazette Mike Rogge that's also a good read...

[byates1]

Rad

[TBS]

“Spider was a babe magnet. Just catching his overflow was fine with me.”
– Spider’s brother Steve

[XXX-er]

Shot by a babe

[TBS]

Who somehow got away with it.
Dead men tell no tales I guess

[ZomblibulaX]

Yeah, the film's description seems to leave out the last part, in which he is shot in the back by his girlfriend and the sheriff's department completely blows the investigation. Would still like to see it though.

[old goat]

I totally believe Claudine's story. I had a guy--Hell's Angel chapter president--who was the cameraman on a porn flick involving a naked woman, a lot of money on a bed, and a pistol. The pistol went off and he got shot in the stomach. His mom slept in a chair next to his bed the whole time he was in the hospital. She would have been happy to know that we found peas floating around in his abdomen so he was eating his vegetables like she taught him.

[PowderAlltheTime]

For those in SLC, there is an interesting twist to Spider's story. The owner of Publik coffee is Spider's daughter. She should tell the story, it's fascinating.

Also, I hung out for a time with some of Claudine's BFF's. When they got a few drinks in them, they would tell stories........ All really good.

[fomofo]

Although undeniably part of the cultural history, I just can't bring myself to bespoil this newly-birthed thread. However, if you wanna know about the infamous SNL sketch click here.

On a more up note, Sabich was the model for Robert Redford's character in Downhill Racer, one of the all time great ski films.

https://www.criterion.com/current/po...er-trailblazer

[romeo tango]

.

after 15 years in AK I know for a fact that coked-up bitches with a gun should NOT be trifled with ....

[ZomblibulaX]

I totally believe Claudine's story. I had a guy--Hell's Angel chapter president--who was the cameraman on a porn flick involving a naked woman, a lot of money on a bed, and a pistol. The pistol went off and he got shot in the stomach. His mom slept in a chair next to his bed the whole time he was in the hospital. She would have been happy to know that we found peas floating around in his abdomen so he was eating his vegetables like she taught him.

She was convicted of criminal negligence and served her time, a jury of her peers did not find her guilty of murder. Those are facts. I just find it odd that prosecutors were able to establish that he had his back turned, was bent over, at least six feet away from the gun, in the bathroom. Doesn't really sound like an accidental discharge while he was demonstrating the use of the firearm as per her story, but nobody was there but Claudine and a now-dead guy.

Either way, a tragic end to a remarkable person.

And Downhill Racer is a great movie, watching the race scenes puts in to perspective how lucky we are with modern course preparation.

[PB]

I totally believe Claudine's story. I had a guy--Hell's Angel chapter president--who was the cameraman on a porn flick involving a naked woman, a lot of money on a bed, and a pistol. The pistol went off and he got shot in the stomach. His mom slept in a chair next to his bed the whole time he was in the hospital. She would have been happy to know that we found peas floating around in his abdomen so he was eating his vegetables like she taught him.

Jeebus .....

[fomofo]

Just the skiing.



Also, Downhill Racer is currently streaming on Kanopy. And Pluto TV, if you can put up with commercials.

[levy1]

When I was a ski club racer I had several camps with Billy kid and I asked him about tuning one time when we were talking about spider Savage he said he used to show up for the race pull out his file run over the skis a few times and win the race.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[TBS]

Hmmm, that conflicts with what Sabich said about ski prep in the doc above…

[Shredhead]

The wife and I will be there!
We’re Friends of the Wheeler, but didn’t RSVP the pre show.

I’ll be sporting a Norway hat.
Say hi.

[fomofo]

[Shredhead]

Spider Lives was really good!

Christin Cooper and Marc Tashe started the film project as a PR campaign in 2018, to get Spider inducted into the US Ski Hall of Fame.

Unfathomable, that this amazing skier, wasn’t already inducted.

[SJG]

Maybe. When I raced cars we would sometimes do stuff which was total BS when we knew other teams were watching, to throw them off. For all we know he spent days tuning his skis, but told people "I don't care about tuning, I just ski em' " and it messes with other racer's heads, throwing them off their own game.

Hmmm, that conflicts with what Sabich said about ski prep in the doc above…

[fomofo]

Spider Lives was really good!

Christin Cooper and Marc Tashe started the film project as a PR campaign in 2018, to get Spider inducted into the US Ski Hall of Fame.

Unfathomable, that this amazing skier, wasn’t already inducted.

More to come, apparently. And in a cool, full-circle kinda way.

Amy Redford, the Utah-based filmmaker and daughter of screen legend Robert Redford, is now directing a feature-length documentary to tell the whole Sabich story.

“The essence and heart of this is to talk about Spider’s life, and not just about his death,” Redford said this week.

Redford, whose father based his character in the 1969 film “Downhill Racer” on Sabich, has partnered with Sabich’s daughter, Missy Greis, who is producing along with veteran film producer Tina Elmo, best known for the acclaimed 2018 surfing documentary “Momentum Generation.”

https://coloradosun.com/2024/03/14/s...ry-amy-redford

[Shredhead]

Doesn't really sound like an accidental discharge while he was demonstrating the use of the firearm as per her story, but nobody was there but Claudine and a now-dead guy.

Either way, a tragic end to a remarkable person.

Apparently, Claudine’s daughter with Andy Williams witnessed the the incident and was going to be a witness for the defense, but was never called.

The film covered Spiders death, but didn’t make any judgement.

James Salter’s daughter is also named Claudine, but she was born prior to 76.

DeDe and Spider were High School friends from Tahoe, who both went to CU. They only hooked up once and she didn’t tell Spider, Missy was his, until shortly before his death. She didn’t tell Missy until she was 20.

There was a lot going on. Probably enough for a NetFlix mini series.

[fomofo]

There was a lot going on. Probably enough for a NetFlix mini series.

Cool to hear more about the evening, thx for posting! And a mini-series would be awesome! ;-)


Click Pic for Vid

Edelweiss ski area was where the current Camp Sacramento is located, just up the hill a bit from Twin Bridges heading toward South Lake Tahoe on Highway 50. Spider grew up skiing there, and would've been about 8 or 9 around the time this was filmed. Wonder if he is one of the "Red Hornets" shown there, maybe the second to last kid on the right in the lineup? Anyone know?

[Shredhead]

I can’t get your link to play.
But they did have footage of the Red Hornets, that did include Spyder and his brother Pinky.

[fomofo]

I can’t get your link to play.
But they did have footage of the Red Hornets, that did include Spyder and his brother Pinky.

Hmm, weird. On PC/iPhone/iPad if I just click on the pic in post #22 above it launches YouTube to the time offset where the Red Hornets are featured. Here's the vid, no time specified.



Red Hornets at 18:30.

[Shredhead]

I can’t be sure, but think the second kid is Pinky. Spiders the fellow with the feather, that they all chase.