Vladimir Sabich

Vladimir "Spider" Sabich was a charismatic and handsome American alpine ski racer who helped popularize the sport in the United States with his talent and outgoing personality. Born Vladimir Peter Sabich Jr. on January 10, 1945, in Sacramento, California, he was the son of a California Highway Patrol officer. His father gave him the lifelong nickname "Spider" after his premature birth, remarking on his long, thin arms and legs. Growing up near Lake Tahoe, Sabich and his brother Steve became standout junior ski racers. He went on to ski for the University of Colorado, where he majored in aeronautical engineering and was coached by U.S. Ski Team coach Bob Beattie.

Sabich’s career was marked by significant achievements. He competed on the World Cup circuit, finished fifth in the slalom at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, and was the U.S. downhill champion that same year. After the 1970 season, he joined the new World Pro Ski Tour, a head-to-head racing format that was perfect for his competitive spirit and TV-friendly appeal. He became the pro champion in 1971 and 1972, earning significant prize money and lucrative endorsements that funded a glamorous lifestyle. He built a chalet in the exclusive Starwood community near Aspen, Colorado, and flew his own twin-engine plane to races.

In 1972, at a celebrity ski event, Sabich met Claudine Longet, a French-American singer and actress who was the estranged wife of singer Andy Williams. Their attraction was immediate, and soon Longet and her three children moved into Sabich's Aspen home. By early 1976, however, their relationship was reportedly strained, and friends said Sabich was planning to ask Longet to move out.

On the afternoon of March 21, 1976, the 31-year-old Sabich returned to his Starwood home after a day of skiing and a meeting with his former coach. As he was preparing to take a shower, Longet entered the bathroom with a .22 caliber pistol. The gun discharged, and a single bullet struck Sabich in the abdomen. He bled profusely from the wound and died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Longet was by his side.

Claudine Longet, then 34, was arrested and charged with reckless manslaughter. The case became a media sensation, drawing intense national attention to the small ski town. Longet's ex-husband, Andy Williams, publicly supported her throughout the trial, escorting her to and from the courthouse daily. Her defense team argued that the shooting was a tragic accident. Longet claimed the gun went off while Sabich was trying to teach her how to use it. The prosecution sought to portray a different picture, one of a relationship in turmoil.

The case against Longet was severely hampered by a series of blunders by the Aspen Police Department. Investigators seized Longet's personal diary and took a blood sample from her without a warrant; both were later ruled inadmissible in court. The diary reportedly contained passages expressing her distress over the couple's troubles. The gun itself was mishandled at the scene, compromising its value as evidence. The prosecution's strongest evidence was the autopsy report, which suggested Sabich was bent over and facing away when he was shot, a position that seemed to contradict Longet's account of a lesson gone wrong.

After a four-day trial in January 1977, the jury found Longet not guilty of a felony. Instead, they convicted her of a lesser charge, misdemeanor criminally negligent homicide. The judge sentenced her to 30 days in jail and a fine of $25. He controversially allowed her to serve the sentence at a time of her choosing, on weekends, so as not to interfere with raising her children. The lenient sentence sparked public outrage and deep anger from Sabich's family, who felt that justice had not been served. They later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Longet, which was settled out of court with a confidentiality agreement that prevents her from ever speaking or writing about the killing.

Longet served her jail time and later married her defense attorney, Ron Austin, who had left his own family for her. They remained in Aspen for many years before moving away. In the years since his death, Vladimir Sabich's legacy has been honored in the ski community he loved. The race arena in Snowmass is named the Spider Sabich Race Arena. In 2022, the mayor of Aspen proclaimed May 8 as the annual Spider Sabich Day, and he was posthumously inducted into the U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.