When Spider Sabich and Claudine Longet first met at a celebrity ski race event in Bear Valley, California, they both carried their respective worlds in the palms of their hands.

Sabich was a lauded professional skier from a small town just outside of Lake Tahoe, regarded as one of the best technicians of his generation. He was blessed with golden-locked good looks and a magnetic personality, all of which helped to propel him toward the zenith of the 1970s sports world, popularizing downhill racing in the process.