How old is jessica cox dancer

According to GQ journalist Robert Chalmers, there was a case where a certain Carol Fuller was jailed for throwing manure on Claudine's car. At one time, the Frenchwoman avoided crowded places in Aspen. Local waitresses regularly spilled drinks on her feet. There was a joke that no one would try the soup Claudine was served.

There was a reason for all this: in 1976, Claudine Longet, while at her peak, shot the most revered man in Aspen.

In the mountains of Aspen, a memorial was organized in honor of the once richest skier in the world, Vladimir Sabich (in 2009He was posthumously inducted into the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame). Tourists and locals still stick pictures of the athlete and newspaper clippings that glorified him in the 60s and 70s on trees.

Cheerful blond, whose appearance was ideal for magazine covers, was killed by Claudine Longet - shot from a battered German Luger 22 caliber.

Her trial became a world sensation - the verdict shocked everyone.

***

During the 60s and 70s, Aspen was a free-spirited city dominated by hippies. During the day they skied, and in the evening they gathered in groups in bars, drinking whiskey and drinking coke.

Yes, Aspen had a rock and roll vibe. In 1970, journalist Hunter Thompson nearly became Sheriff of Pictin County in Aspen. One of the main points of his election program was ... the legalization of drugs. As a result, the candidate won 44% of the vote!

Aspen's reputation as a city of soft drugs and free sex was well known. But when the trial of Claudine Longet ended, even experienced journalists did not hide their surprise. Thus, the Daily Mirror called Aspen "the city of Sodom and Gomorrah."

Sabich became a martyr, and many learned his biography by heart.

***

Vladimir Sabich, Jr. was born on January 10, 1945 in Sacramento (California), in a family of Croatian immigrants.

His father Vladimir Sabich Sr. has long since returned from the war, where he briefly participated as a B-25 bomber pilot. He was shot down in the north of Japan, the plane crashed near Vladivostok, after which the pilot was interned by the Soviet military ... He managed to return home only a year later.

His wife Fran's birth was premature, so the baby was premature. Seeing his son, Sabich called him a spider, because the baby's body was bony, and the arms and legs were disproportionately elongated. The nickname Spider stuck to him more firmly than his name.

Sr. Sabich worked with the Sacramento Highway Patrol until he moved with his family to Kybers, near Lake Tahoe, where he continued to do the same. The new house he had built was on a mountainous site adjacent to a federal forest - because of him, Kybers never became a big resort. It was in Kybers that Spider first got on wooden skis to try out the mountain slopes.

His mother Fran was the head of the local post office and paid a lot of attention to her three children – Mary, Steve and Vlad. She was actively involved in sports and passed this passion on to her sons. The father worked around the clock, often went to emergency calls at night, and in his spare time he took the children fishing and hunting, where he taught to shoot. Like Fran, he supported their love of sports in every possible way.

Spider spent a lot of time with his brother Steve. They served as altar boys in a Catholic church and put on their skis after Mass for a resort nearby. Parents also took their sons to Edelweiss, where they also polished their skills and participated in competitions.

They were trained by Lutz Einedter, a downhill champion in the 40s who emigrated to the US from Germany immediately after the war. He instilled in the boys the European style of skating - his students were distinguished by the fact that they had no fear. It was European skiers who dominated the competition at that time, so a line of people who wanted to learn lined up for Ainedter.

Sabich and his brother were so successful that they, along with other guys, were called the most fearless young skiers from the Highway 50 Boys gang.

Spyder did particularly well, quickly abandoning American football in favor of downhill skiing. School friends of the future world champion in an interview with California Conversations said that he was of medium build, thin, but at the same time muscular, athletic. And before mastering all the intricacies of skiing, he learned to gain crazy speed on the slopes, overcoming them so rapidly that it seemed as if an avalanche had descended from the slope. He had excellent technique, he was focused on success, he trained a lot.

Spyder enthusiastically participated in any skiing activity, whether it was slalom or mogul - he wanted to feel like an adult and responsible, to bring money into the house. And few could compete with him. But earnings in amateur sports were then pennies. Alpine skiers could not get rich at the expense of commercial tournaments if they wanted to compete in the World Championships and the Olympics.

When Spyder was 18, he was accepted on a scholarship to the University of Colorado in Boulder by renowned specialist Bob Beatty, coach of the US cross-country skiing team.

Spider, like any student, got into trouble: he flirted with the girl of a 140-kilogram amfut player, for which the skier was beaten up; drove a friend's car into a dumpster; fell out of a ski cabin from a height of ten meters and broke his leg; went to jail along with his principal rival in the team Billy Kidd . .. There was also a rumor that Sabich had an affair with the first beauty of the university, and she even gave birth to a daughter from him.

But everyone forgave Spider - such a person: charismatic, charming, always in the spotlight. His life was as fast and desperate as the descents from the slope.

He was regularly injured, and some of the hard falls looked so horrendous that he didn't seem to make it this time. Even the unemotional French supertop Jean-Claude Killy clutched his head when, during another somersault, Spider broke his neck - doctors found two damaged vertebrae. But miraculously, with the help of the best orthopedists, he recovered even after complex injuries and returned to the slope without fear. For this desperation, which bordered on madness, everyone adored him.

At the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble, Spider was 22. The track, shrouded in fog, brought him 5th place in the slalom - Killy took the gold. Spyder's US teammate Billy Kidd finished 5th in the giant.

Among the fans was Spider's father, Vladimir Sabich Sr. During the break, he went to a local store, where he bought Stephen (son) a .22 Luger. Steven will give the gun to Spider - and later "Luger" will play a fatal role in his life.

2 months after the Olympics, Sabich won the only victory at the World Cup stages - in slalom, on a well-known track near Lake Tahoe - he also beat Killy. At the same time, Spider became the US downhill champion. Three more times he managed to get on the podium of the World Cup.

And in 1970, Sabich turned professional, where he achieved the most significant success. “It was such a relief for me! he admitted in an interview with Sports Illustrated. “I was fed up with the hypocrisy. Tired of riding with guys who made $50,000 a year, who had service people who polished their skis. I was too nervous trying to compete with them. Now I have no worries!”

At that time skiing was just becoming fashionable in the USA, they began to invest in it. Coach Bob Beatty organized a professional tour for elite athletes, promoting the sport.

IOC President Avery Brundage spoke out against the mass exodus of skiers to the pros: he accused the great Killy, the Austrian Karl Schranz and other athletes of desertion, who decided that it was time to earn extra money. But he couldn't do anything about it.

Pro ski racing was held in America, in the format of slalom and giant slalom. Alpine skiers competed in the selection of two, for elimination.

“Certainly, this is the most exciting form of racing,” Sabic enthused. - You understand exactly what you need to do - give all your best! If you finish second, that's it, that's the end. The guy behind always remembers what awaits him if he does not make a breakthrough. He begins to take risks, cut corners, because he must move even faster. When we played for a while, as before, we usually didn’t get involved in such adventures. ”

Spyder's early earnings were modest, but when Bob Beatty's new project took off, Sabich became one of the richest athletes in the US. In 1971 and 1972, he became the world champion, beating everyone, including the iron Killy!

Sabich eventually made enough money to move from Boulder to a ski resort in Aspen. There, he and his brother built a house in the gated community of Starwood.

Singer John Denver became a neighbor, with whom they could compete on income. Remembering who his father was in the war, Sabich bought a Piper Aztec twin-engine aircraft, which he flew to competitions. He had beefed-up Porsches, motorcycles that he raced with Billy Kidd.

At the same time, Spider remained a simple guy, still appreciated friends who told him that what belonged to Sabich belonged to them.

Spider's career began to decline in 1973. That year, in a tough fight with Killie for the world title, he fell on his back, suffering a compression fracture of his vertebrae - this happened on the last weekend of the season in Aspen Highlands. The accident happened in the semi-finals of the giant slalom, Spyder accelerated to 80 km / h, caught his hand on the gate, made a somersault and fell on the back of his head. After the fall, he tried to get up, but immediately fell - and soon he was hospitalized.

Killy ended up taking the world title in his only full season on the pro tour.

After the defeat, Sabich's results also declined. True, he still won races, getting injured, and earned decent money. GQ magazine even put him on the cover with the announcement: "The richest pro skiing rider." But the championship title now could only dream of.

At the same time, his sad fate was already predetermined. Two events became key. The first was when my father bought a Luger in Grenoble. The second - when at 19On the 72nd, Spider came to a restaurant in Bear Valley. With him rested partner in the Olympic team Jim Burrows, nicknamed Elk, who spoke about the events at the Denver Post institution.

Claudine was in the restaurant talking to Clint Eastwood, Robert Conrad and Liza Minnelli. Spider walked up to the table and introduced himself with a smile. Claudine is hopelessly in love. Soon she asked Billy Kidd to arrange a new meeting with Spider, and he invited the couple to his place for dinner.

Thus began the romance that killed the skiing legend.

***

Claudine Longet was born at the height of World War II in Paris, in 1942, when France was already occupied.

The Frenchwoman's father was an industrialist, his company produced X-ray equipment. Mother worked as a doctor. But Claudine, despite her intelligent parents, decided to become a dancer - and performed on stage as early as 17.

French TV - and invited to dance for shows organized in the casino.

18-year-old Claudine became a burlesque artist in Las Vegas and, during another performance, came to the attention of 32-year-old Andy Williams , whom she married in 1961 and gave birth to three children.

It was Williams who became the Frenchwoman's patron in the USA, helping her with her singing career and arranging for her filming. He highlighted her in his mega-popular TV show, portraits of a happy family regularly appeared in glossy magazines - Claudine hugging children, and next to her husband.

His name was not just on everyone's lips. Even then, the hypnotizing baritone of Andy Williams was quoted no less than the intellectual baritone (sometimes with tenorally high notes) of Frank Sinatra. Hits in his performance burst into American culture - every second sang "I can't take my eyes off you" or "Moon River". Williams also became famous for recording songs for Oscar-winning films - "The Godfather" ("Speak quietly, my love") and "Love Stories" ("Where to start?").

Of course, when Williams said that Longet's voice was good, they believed him. Yes, he was really good. His popularity was explained by a peculiar French accent, while Claudine's timbre was unusual, very soft, enveloping.

She performed songs in the light rock genre close to the lounge and stage. Her vinyl records were released under the auspices of A&M label owner Herb Alpert, with whom she was introduced by Williams. Claudine did not like to compose, she liked to rehash the hits of cult groups - The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Carpenters.

Another success for Longet was the role of the French actress-singer in the comedy of the absurd The Party (1968), where she made a love duet with Peter Sellers (the Briton was nominated for an Oscar three times in his career, his Dr. Strangelove from the Kubrick film is known all movie buffs).

The role of Claudine turned out to be really cute: the girl fell in love with a clown with a big heart, swam in the pool several times in her clothes and rode a decorated elephant, which was brought to the cottage for a party. But the scene where Longet sings became the strongest - she is beautiful, kind, dreamy. From the "Party" there is a good aftertaste, a feeling that the world is not without good people. Americans admired the Frenchwoman.

And yet, it was the union with her illustrious husband that opened all the doors for her - although, of course, she also had talent. Longet and Williams were among the best friends of the Kennedy couple - Robert often called them to gatherings. They were at the hotel where the New York state senator was assassinated. Andy sang the song at the farewell ceremony, Claudine named her son Bob - in honor of Kennedy.

At the same time, difficulties began in the relationship between Longet and Williams, which led to a divorce in 1975 (there were rumors that Andy had an affair with Kennedy's widow Ethel).

When Claudine fell in love with Spider Sabich, the divorce was still pending, she even appeared on Williams' TV show. Journalists once asked how she was doing, and she replied that she considers herself a happy woman: she has a great husband, three wonderful children and a man she loves - however, she asked not to specify his name.

But everyone already knew his name. Longet hypnotized Spider, he constantly walked with her in an embrace. The Frenchwoman was torn between Malibu, where she had a home, and Aspen, where she could be with Sabich.

And Spyder was still torn by fans, but he learned to refuse them. A year after they met, he invited Claudine to live in his chalet with the children, whom he loved as his own. And he even took his mistress to Kybers and introduced him to his parents, which he did not do with any other.

When it became quite difficult for Spider to resist the most beautiful women, the jealous Claudine turned on the vixen. She did not want to share him with anyone, demanded that he devote himself entirely to her - hence public quarrels arose.

But his patience ended in the fourth year of the relationship - Spyder was too positive a person to put up with the constant negativity emanating from the French celebrity. In the end, he gave Claudine a deadline for her to move out.

And on the last day of the ultimatum, she shot him.

***

On January 11, 1977, almost all residents of the United States followed the Colorado Supreme Court - they were waiting for Claudine Longet's testimony in court.

She wore a black sweater over a cream blouse and a blue miniskirt. The defendant was helped by the image maker Sydney Stone, who worked with the stars - clothes for court hearings were chosen so that Claudine did not go out of the image of a grieving woman.

At the trial, Longet swore under oath that she would "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." Everyone remembers how she burst into tears when the coroners spoke about the bleeding Sabich. A small Luger bullet entered him just below the ribs, pierced the artery and pancreas. Paramedics tried to revive him on the spot, but to no avail.

Claudine sobbed uncontrollably as she listened to the coroners. And then she went to the podium herself.

A 35-year-old brunette appeared before the jury with large, expressive eyes, a neat, slightly upturned nose, thin sensual lips. Her flawless face was Mephistophelically mysterious. She, as always, was grazing, while carefully choosing her expressions.

The judge and jury bent down to hear her - her voice was so weak and inexpressive. Claudine was accused of manslaughter - the defense insisted on negligent homicide. According to one article, she could get 10 years, according to another - 2 years.

Recreating her direct speech in court from two sources - the book True Crime: Celebrity Murder Stories and an article in The New York Times of January 13, 1977:

“I returned to the chalet and again saw a gun in the closet. Then I reminded myself again that I should ask Spider about this weapon. I had never fired it and was concerned that I knew next to nothing about it.

I took the gun, and somehow it happened, I don't understand myself - I pressed the button, after which the clip fell out on the floor. I picked it up and put it back in, not sure if I loaded it correctly.

Then she went to the bathroom. On the way, she shouted to Spider: "I want you to tell me about this gun." In the bathroom, everything happened very quickly. I asked if the lever is on the red mark, is it safe or not? Spider replied something like: "He's all in your power!"

The Luger lay in the palm of my hand, I did not intentionally point it in the direction of the Spider. Then the gun went off. Spider yelled my name many times. He began to slide to the floor. I told him that I would call the hospital and asked him not to move. When I returned to the bath, the children were already there. I asked them to go outside and wait for the ambulance to arrive. Then I tried to bring Spider to his senses, asked to talk to me, but he began to lose consciousness. Then I began to give him artificial respiration ... "

Claudine also said, “Spider and I loved each other very much. I think we were best friends."

However, the evidence indicated that the testimony was not entirely true.

"I will never forget the screams and howls of the sirens." Attack at the Olympics in the USA - the security guard saved everyone, but he was made the main suspect

***

Initially, it seemed that the Claudine Longet case was elementary for the prosecutor's office, and it would be easy to get punished under the article on manslaughter (reckless manslaughter). The prosecution was required to prove to the jury that Claudine Longet showed a deliberate disregard for safety, deliberately took a significant risk, in connection with which the murder occurred

Claudine kept a diary in which she described in detail (hundreds of pages) her personal life and said that her relationship with Spider was coming to an end and that it was time to move out of his house soon.

Once, in a bar, Longet threw a glass of wine at Spider because he was not paying attention to her. On the day of the murder, the chief of police asked Lieutenant William Baldridge to pay attention to the French woman - twice he saw her on the street, and the woman was "clearly not herself."

It is known that before the murder, Claudine visited a bar, where, most likely, she used cocaine - traces of it were found in the singer's blood. It was also found that before the gun fired, the trigger was pulled at least four times (this can be seen from the notches on the bullet). This is reported in a documentary video about the events of those days.

The police claimed that shortly after the incident at the chalet, Longet said: "I killed him." They also claimed that she told how she brandished a gun in front of Spider and shouted: “Bang! Bang! Bang!

Claudine was attacked not only by the prosecution, but also by television - on some programs her version was openly ridiculed (any details of the case immediately surfaced in the media). So, on April 24, 1976, even before the verdict was passed, the producers of the famous American television show Saturday Night Life released a scandalous sketch called: “Invitation of Claudine Longet to the ski championship.”

Show hosts Tom Truman (real name Chevy Chase) and Jessica Antlerdans (Jane Curtin) were "reporting" skiing events in Vail, Colorado. The audience was shown excerpts from the performances of athletes - mainly where they performed somersaults and fell into the snow.

Tom began the report with a remark: “Of course, the first (on the track) will be Helmut Kindl, a 24-year-old Frenchman. Sorry, he's from West Germany." Jessica noted that an ankle injury could affect his performance. Both are watching him, suddenly a shot is heard, the skier falls into the snow. “Oh-oh! It seems he was accidentally shot by Claudine Longet! Yes... And I'm afraid that Helmut Kindle dropped out of this race," Tom issued. Jessica's response: "Yes, it's a shame, but it's all part of the exciting world of professional skiing, Tom."

Next, "Jean-Paul Baptiste, 28, civil engineer from Verne, Switzerland" enters the frame. The hosts are discussing his style of skating, when suddenly another shot is heard, Jean-Paul falls into the snow. Tom's response: "Oh! Ltd! I think he was accidentally shot by Claudine Longet." However, the skier continues to perform, then Jessica says: "I think she just hit him, Tom." A second shot rings out, Jean-Paul falls. "Oh no! This shot got him, he fell! But no, no, he gets up!” Jessica is worried.

The skier continues to perform, albeit somewhat awkwardly. However, a third shot finishes him off. "Again, he was accidentally shot by Claudine, and this time, Jessica, I think he won't get up," concludes Tom.

Then they show the highlights: skiers fall one by one after the sound of gunshots. Tom and Jessica comment, "She dropped her gun by mistake and it fired." “Here she was just showing a gun to a friend.” "I think she was cleaning her gun here, wasn't she?" “I think this time she put the gun on the snow and it fired by mistake.”

Lawyer Claudine Longet sent a letter to the show's management demanding action. During the next broadcast, announcer Don Pardo read out a letter with the first public apology from the creators of this TV show. “I would like to correct the misunderstanding, it consisted in the fact that an assumption was made about the commission of a crime,” said Pardo. - The satire was fictional, our goal was purely humorous. We apologize if our release was misinterpreted. "

Be that as it may, after the trial, speaking to a crowd of journalists, Claudine said clearly and loudly: “Not guilty!”

After all, she was a good actress.

***

29-year-old Deputy District Attorney Ashley Anderson After Claudine's testimony, he went to a bar and got drunk. Despite the abundance of serious evidence, he did not act very effectively in court - he often sat with his legs apart and listening to Longet's impeccable lawyers.

Speaking in a bar with journalists, Anderson admitted that the defendant would most likely bounce, because in the eyes of the jury he looked like a "stupid tuna."

From the very beginning, it was clear that he was matched with sophisticated opponents. The leading lawyers of the time volunteered to defend Claudine - the best lawyer in Los Angeles, Charles Widman, who specialized in criminal cases, and his cunning colleague from Aspen Ron Austin .

When it was all over, Austin left his wife and two children for Longet, with whom he settled in Aspen (they got married in 1985, still together).

Anderson noticeably lost to Widman as a pro - he was an experienced, caustic lawyer, by whom not a single legal subtlety passed. As Aspen Times journalist David Chamberlain recalled, Charles immediately beat all the trump cards that the prosecution had collected.

• It turned out that the police seized Claudine's diary without a warrant - one of the cops looked into it and moved it, although he had the right to do this only if he had a warrant. In this regard, the diary was not included in the case - and yet inside the accused wrote how unstable her relationship with Spider was developing.

• Blood for alcohol and drugs was also taken from a French woman with gross violations of the standard procedure, so the court did not take into account the cocaine found in the tests.

• The gun that killed Spider was first inspected by a police officer, who can't be called an expert on weapons - and out of inexperience took out a clip from it. At the same time, for some time the gun lay in the glove compartment of a police car.

• That is why the evidence of the prosecution was hardly taken into account at the trial. The judge did not include in the proceedings the conclusion that the defendant had several attempts to pull the trigger, but there were misfires (as told in the documentary by former Aspen District Attorney Frank Tucker).

On the other hand, a ballistics expert came forward for the defense, saying: "Luger" is so old, with a faulty fuse - he really could shoot without pulling the hook. True, the prosecution immediately reminded him that during the forensic examination, no one managed to make the gun fire without pressing the hook.

• The police officer who spoke with Claudine after the arrest and heard the suspect say “I killed him” did not invite the French lawyer for interrogation, so there was no trust in her testimony either. Longet indignantly denied the words of other policemen, as if she claimed that she was waving a pistol at Spider.

"Compared to this killer, Jack the Ripper is an amateur!" The inexplicable massacre of a girl who dreamed of a second Olympics

***

The line of accusation crumbled before our eyes. Counsel Widman had the charm to inspire the jury with Claudine's ideal point of view. He was calm, focused, talking for hours - in contrast to Deputy Prosecutor Anderson, who lounged in an armchair in shabby jeans and looked more like a schoolboy who came to class without understanding the subject. He got up very rarely and if he said something, it would be better not to do it at all.

The jury also saw famous people who expressed support for Claudine. Andy Williams came to each meeting, who, as soon as he learned about the tragedy, brought detectives to Aspen and looked for the best lawyers. He spoke at the trial, refuting the words of eyewitnesses, as if his wife was eccentric and unpredictable. Longet also encouraged her star neighbor in Aspen, actor Jack Nicholson , who has already won an Oscar for his lead role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. He enjoyed attending court hearings.

In addition, Claudine behaved perfectly - in accordance with the image that the lawyers most likely created for her. Prior to trial, released on $5,000 bail, she attended Sabich's memorial service, where she was at the forefront of the mourners. Then, already at the trial, it was difficult to suspect a criminal in her, although sometimes she slipped into cynical, sarcastic remarks.

One of the jurors, when it was all over, told the press: “God, she shouldn't have been put in jail, what a criminal she is!” By the way, the defense shuffled the jury for a long time in order to select the most neutral jurors - almost everyone was categorically against the Frenchwoman, including Mayor Aspen, who eventually refused to join the jury himself.

In his closing remarks, Widman's lawyer stated: “My ward could not even imagine that such a small bullet could harm someone. Look at Claudine - she's not an inanimate object. This is a woman who lives, breathes, suffers. Mentally take her hand. And ask yourself: “Guilty? Or not guilty?

Anderson had nothing to cover. All the prosecution got was explaining to the jury with the help of experts, which was the weakness of the version that Spyder painted the technical features of the Luger to his mistress. The bullet caught him when he was shaving near the mirror, being two meters from Longet. It’s hard to show something on a pistol, being half a turn to him, and even so far away.

Spider was wearing thermal underwear, he was washing his face and going to shave, and then he had to meet with Bob Beatty. In the morning he trained with him - even despite the failure of the season-1976, still expected to get back in shape. While he was training, Claudine was having fun at the club, then they briefly crossed paths at a party, from where they parted separately. According to the documentary, Longet did not calm down and began to search for Spider throughout Aspen in a car, and the driving style was unsafe. And then there was the tragedy in the bathroom...

So how was Claudine Longet punished?

***

After 3 hours of deliberation, the jury returned its verdict. Their opinions were divided. As a result, a paper reached the judge, in which it was written that she was guilty of negligent homicide (criminally negligent homicide, instead of reckless manslaughter, as the prosecution insisted). The maximum penalty for this crime was 2 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Judge George Laure gave Longet a sympathetic look as he delivered his verdict, as if apologizing for the decision to put her in jail. The defense tried to avoid prison, referring to the children of Claudine, who could be labeled the descendants of a criminal. The Frenchwoman herself said: “What will my children think about the system that sent their mother to jail?”

But the judge said that it was impossible to do without prison at all. At the same time, the punishment turned out to be ridiculous - 30 days in prison and a $ 250 fine! Laure informed Longet that she would be able to serve her sentence on the days she chose, and she decided to visit the prison cell on the weekends. True, immediately after the trial, she went to Mexico - along with lawyer Ron Austin, to "rest from everything."

The first time she saw a camera in Pitkin County Jail, Claudine made her... paint it pink. There were rumors that she ordered food from restaurants there.

“I know he loved her,” Spyder's ex-girlfriend Marty, who after his death began dating the skier's brother Steven, told California Conversations. “But shortly before the tragedy, he invited me to dinner. And he said he wanted to get rid of her and that she was throwing tantrums. And in the end, everything turned out the way it did. To kill him, she had to stand on a stool, rummage through his belongings, pull out a gun, put a bullet in him, go to the bathroom and shoot him. He died before the ambulance arrived. He still had his toothbrush in his mouth."

In the documentary, Marty also stated that Spider was an experienced hunter and knew how to handle weapons. He wouldn't keep a loaded gun in the house knowing that Claudine or, worse, the kids might find it.

Spyder's parents filed a civil lawsuit against Longe, claiming $1.3 million. However, the Frenchwoman agreed with them out of court - she was under an obligation that she would not write a book about the murder (and Claudine had already begun) and would not give interviews about those events.

The fate of Sabich's family is shocking: his father, brother and sister died of oncology. In turn, Longet's son tragically died. And the murder eventually ended her career - she became a recluse. Little is known about how the Frenchwoman lived and lives in Aspen, about the fate of her children. The media reported that children from Andy Williams gave Claudine six grandchildren and granddaughters. Whether she herself has children from Austin's lawyer is unknown.

At the same time, one of the rare unpleasant episodes in Longet's public life after the murder was the act of Mick Jagger, who composed a cynical song for the Rolling Stones.

***

The death of one of the best skiers in history made all of America go crazy. He was considered one of his own - it was not for nothing that his image was encrypted in the hero of Robert Redford in the film "Downhill" from director Michael Ritch - an exciting movie about the cruelties of the ski world. The fact that the film did not become a cult hit in the US is a big misunderstanding. But Redford for the first time seriously lit up on the screen and soon earned two Oscars.

When Downhill was still in production, at 19On the 68th, Redford dined in Grenoble with the writer James Salter.

He showed the young actor Billy Kidd, who was arrogant and withdrawn, but was then quoted above Spider. Salter asked: “Are you guided by him, drawing the image of a hero in your head?” Redford shook his head and pointed to another skier at a separate table. “I looked - this is a fair-haired, cold-blooded, somewhat detached from everything guy. His name was Spider Sabich,” Salter wrote in his memoirs.

He really was a national hero. That is why the hatred of Longet after the trial reached its maximum - only in Aspen, 90% of the townspeople did not agree with the results.

In the end, Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones himself could not resist and wrote a scandalous song in the 80s, which, for obvious reasons, was forbidden to be included in the Emotional Salvation album.

"Claudine" lyrics:

Claudine is back in jail again,

Claudine is back in jail again,

Claudine is back in prison. Claudine!

Claudine is back in prison,

Claudine is back in prison.

She does it on weekends!

Claudine.

Now only Spyder knows for sure!

But he never talks about it...

Isn't that right, Claudine?

There is blood in the chalet,

And blood on the snow.

She cleans her hands in this damned snow.

Is that all you can do, Claudine?!

Shot him first, right in the head,

Shot twice more, right in the chest.

The judge thought it was an accident, Claudine!

But there are accidents.

And Claudine is back in prison again!

Claudine is back in prison,

Claudine is back in prison. Claudine!

Claudine returned to prison,

Claudine returned to prison,

Claudine returned to prison. Claudine!

Ooh, what about children?

Poor, poor children...

Now when I threaten my wife with a gun,

I always put the safety on.

Highly recommended!

Claudine.

Now she hit me with her gun once or twice,

But she never wanted to kill me!

What do you think about it, Claudine?

The most beautiful girl I have ever seen.

I saw you on the screen.

I hope you don't try to sacrifice me

Claudine.

Don't touch me!

Don't wave your gun in front of me!

Claudine.

I said that Claudine is back in jail.

Claudine is back in prison again,

She only does it on weekends.

Claudine!

Keith, can you put that gun down already?

Oh, Claudine...

Oh, Claudine...

***

Eyewitnesses are still alive - they not only communicate with journalists, but also write on forums (however, the reliability of their testimony cannot be verified) . So, an article about the murder was published on the SnowBrains.com website, and Deborah Jacobs appeared in the comments to it (she wrote under the nicknames Debi Jacobs, Deborah J, Deborah).

“I was living in Aspen at the time, I was 23 years old,” she wrote. - I was an artist, a singer and a skier, I was a member of the local party.

Yes, their relationship was a mess, she was a jealous bitch. Before the tragedy, he did not appear at home for weeks, he came only to change clothes and spent time with friends. He tried to kick her out of the house, but he knew that it would be hard because of the children - he had a big heart.

I met Spider a few times - if you know what I mean. I was young, full of life and very pretty. His murder came as a shock. I left Aspen before the trial - the whole city was in mourning.

I regret not being a witness for the prosecution. I moved to the Virgin Islands, as far as possible from the snow and everything connected with it. To this day, I can't watch ski competitions.

Claudine should be in jail. I'm sure I saw her (on the night of the murder) with a friend of mine in the Little Nells Club closet, where she did the tracks several times. The booze also flowed like a river. I sat at the next table, there were many toilet breaks. I remember it well because someone stole my expensive ski mittens.

She was high, but we are still responsible for our actions. As a result, a blood test for alcohol and drugs, which gave a positive result, was not taken into account in court. Spider was handsome, kind, if a little reckless. And he certainly did not deserve such a death.

And this is what Sabich's friend Billy Kidd, America's first Olympic medalist in cross-country skiing, recalled in an interview with California Conversations:

“I know Spyder had a reputation for enjoying parties. But that was the time - top athletes loved to hang out. They could be late for the competition and still win. It was said that Spyder remained at parties until the very end. I think this is an exaggeration.

We lived in the same room with him, I knew how much he drinks, what time he goes to bed. But yes, the stories were bright. He loved beautiful women, and beautiful women, fortunately, loved him. In companies, he was always the most cheerful. No, it was not like he was mocking someone, letting out inappropriate jokes. He was just a great storyteller.

You know how journalists like Jack Kerouac or Hunter Thompson can write stories about how they jumped in the car, got to the gas station and gassed up - even such a story in their performance will sound incredible, and you will be sad that you were not with them at the gas station. Spider is the same. He is full of fire, he had the brightest life. And when he told something about himself, sometimes it became sad that you were not there.

He also enjoyed everything he did. No matter what it was - skiing, going to the beach, doing gymnastics. And he was terribly smart. He studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Colorado. In cross-country skiing, intelligence is also needed - to calculate the passage of each notch on the track. Spider was good at that too.

He loved skiing, he loved life. You know, there are bores who have achieved everything they can, it doesn’t matter if it’s about money or fame, and they are still unhappy with something. And Spider remained happy when he had nothing, and when he had everything. He lived at the maximum ... "

Andes rugby plane crash: 72 days in the cold, 16 survivors. To save themselves, they became cannibals

Photo: Gettyimages.ru/Bettmann, Keystone/Hulton Archive, Ian Showell/Keystone/Hulton Archive; East News/AP Photo/Press Association; snowsportsmuseum.org; bobbeattie.org; commons.wikimedia.org/Collection Paul Regnier, Lausanne, Switzerland; joanne16.com/; Aspen Times; imdb.com

All the answers are in you

February 26, 2016

24311 views

Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychologist who spent more than three years in fascist camps, says in one of his books that the meaning of life cannot be invented, it can only be found.

Lately, I've been leaning toward the idea that the meaning of life is to find an occupation or a way of being so that you can live your life as fully as possible and enjoy it. After all, if you think about it, do we lack something for happiness?

The idea for this article came from a lot of thinking about the boundaries we set for ourselves, fears of the unknown, real limitations, the importance of supporting loved ones, parenting, and the ability to understand how I want to live my life and what I can do to make it happen. do. My goal will be achieved if my article helps someone find the strength to move towards their cherished dream, and someone can take a fresh look at their "imperfections", recognizing them as an important part of themselves.

Why did I make the heroes of my article people who have, as they say, "physical limitations"? I think sometimes, in order to find strength in ourselves, we need a positive example - because if someone succeeded, then it is possible. So, I can achieve my goal. Examples of people like the Italian dancer Simone Atzori and the young taekwondo champion from a small town near Perm, Vladislav Krichfalushy, inspire me, strengthen my faith in human abilities and help me move on.

Life without limits

Simone Atzori was born without arms. Nevertheless, she draws, writes, drives a car. Everything that we do with our hands, Simone does with her feet. At the age of four, she began to draw. Since 1983, Simona has been a member of the Association of Artists who paint with the help of their mouth and legs. Now her paintings can be seen at various exhibitions around the world. Simone is dancing. From the age of six, she began attending classical dance courses, and in 2006 she participated in the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Turin. She drives a car. A few years ago, she took part in Jeff Honorato's "Fly to Live" project in a water skiing competition.

Looking at the photo of this fragile smiling girl and reading her book, I experienced a feeling of great gratitude - for her experience, which she frankly shares with the world, for the fact that I have the opportunity to learn her cheerfulness, the strength of her spirit and courage.

In his book What Are You Lacking to Be Happy? Simona talks a lot about her mother. It was she who taught her to question every limitation that others tried to impose on her - every "no" became "why not ...?", "maybe", "we'll see", and in the worst case - "no, because ...". How many "no" would be a reality for a girl who was born without arms?

Simone tells of an incident from her childhood: she was swinging in her yard when a police inspector passed by. Seeing Simone, he became agitated and began to call Simone's mother. The frightened mother ran out of the house. The man shouted for the mother to immediately take the girl off the swing, otherwise she would fall and break. Simone did not understand what was happening: she often swung on a swing, and she really liked it. Then the mother, winking meaningfully at her daughter, asked her to go into the house. The policeman calmed down. But as soon as he left, Simone climbed up on the swing again.

"Very often, boundaries exist only in the minds of those around us." If we allow ourselves to make them ours, we will limit our possibilities. You need to stop in time so as not to become what others want to see you.

Living her life, Simona realizes two cherished dreams - from childhood she wanted and loved to draw and dance. A dream is a way of self-knowledge. All answers are within us. Listen to yourself or find your own among the obsessive noise, in the flow of information, images, meanings. And then stubbornly go forward - albeit slowly, but still move forward, overcoming obstacles, carefully protecting your choice.

To send four-year-old Simona to kindergarten, her mother had to prove her daughter's right to attend kindergarten with ordinary children without physical restrictions. Simone's favorite activity in kindergarten was drawing. Later, she liked to come up with other endings for comics if she did not like them, and finished the stories to her liking.

One day, at the dance school where Simona studied, she was not allowed to take the exam, as his program involved performing exercises with the help of her hands. The teachers did not want to make an exception for an unusual student. Simone had to leave this school, but the failure did not affect her desire to dance.

There are no failures for Simone. Is it possible to feel like a failure after all the effort, hard work and sacrifice made? Even if the goal was not achieved, the path traveled is valuable in itself. Sometimes this path is more important than the goal itself.

Many of the boundaries that we set for ourselves are dictated by our fears and the lack of a clear idea of ​​​​how to realize our plans. The main thing, in my opinion, at this stage is not to give up on the idea, but simply to try different ways. It may happen that at some point it becomes clear that the goal is not yours. Or maybe you just become stronger in your desire. But, remaining behind a wall built of fears, fears, insecurities, you will miss a lot of opportunities for development and you will move backward unnoticed.

Being different from others is a test, a test of strength of character. Those who saw Simone dancing then look at her only with admiration. And the looks of those who saw the girl without arms for the first time are full of pity and compassion. One effective weapon that Simone uses against annihilating pity is a smile. After all, you see, it is difficult to feel sorry for a person who smiles. And then this is already a test for the one who showed pity.

Why are we used to judging ourselves and others based on what we have? Why is our idea of ​​happiness so closely tied to having something that should make us happy?

Simone reminisces about her meeting with Jeff Honorato, who invited her to take part in the Fly to Live project for a water skiing competition. Now Jeff is a water skiing world champion, coach, head of a water skiing training center for people with physical and mental disabilities. At the age of 23, he had an accident, as a result of which his arm was paralyzed.

It seemed that all plans for the future came to an end, and the worst thing was that I had to give up my sports career. However, after numerous attempts to restore his hand, after long months of despair, Jeff managed to find an occupation that has become part of his life. Overcoming the prejudice of others and existing prejudices, he began to engage in water skiing. On his immobilized arm, he made a tattoo: “Thanks to the sacrifice you made, I gained true freedom. Jeff".

Of course, in order to overcome such obstacles, it is sometimes necessary to be very strong. But look at this fragile girl. She finds the strength in herself to move forward and helps others to find this strength by conducting workshops, meeting people and sharing her experience. And the example of Simone is not at all isolated.

Vladislav Krichfalushiy

World champion

Vladislav Krichfalushiy lives in Berezniki, Perm region. At the age of three, due to an accident, the boy lost both his arms. Now he is seventeen, all the years after the tragedy the guy led a rather active lifestyle - he painted, sang, sculpted, swam, jumped from a tower, roller-skated, played football, learned to work on a computer. Six years ago, he came to the taekwondo section. Here he found his calling and achieved success. This year, a young athlete from the Perm hinterland became the world champion and European champion in para-taekwondo for the second time.

I was interested to know how a young man who finds himself in a similar life situation manages to achieve his goals.

— Vlad, where did your passion for taekwondo come from?

- I am often asked this question, but everything turned out to be rather banal. I wanted to do some kind of "male" sport. I have always liked martial arts, and taekwondo was the most suitable - where the main blows are performed with the legs. True, now I understand that I must have been very lucky, because six years ago I did not know about para-competitions.

- Thinking about your success, which of your teachers do you remember and why? What is the main lesson you learned from them?

— About my coach, Denis Anikeev. I say coach because everyone is used to this word, although in taekwondin terminology it’s more correct to say “subum”. He is an outstanding coach, a police major and just an interesting personality.

I will probably refrain from talking about the lessons, since they are mainly connected with my jambs. On the other hand, I can’t help but remember the coaches from the national team, but a whole article is not enough to describe their merits.

— What gives you the strength to move forward and not stop there?

- My teachers often say: "It's easy to win a title once, it's hard to confirm it every time." And, to be honest, I really want to answer it like this - I'm already bored without it.

— What rules do you follow in life?

- Most likely, you are expecting something like "My main principle is never give up," but I will probably disappoint you. I don't have any special rules. Any "rules" limit. To tell the truth, I like the line of the song from the movie "The Adventures of Electronics" more: "I only deeply believe in one thing - you don't have to have convictions. "

- What do you dream about?

- I really want to compete at the Olympic Games.

When I asked Vladislav about the difficulties he had to overcome, I confess that I expected to hear something about personal experiences and the struggle against prejudice. However, Vladislav replied that the main obstacle for him was bureaucracy - it was very difficult to get money to travel to competitions. And, to be honest, I got the idea of ​​Vladislav as a light, cheerful person who tends to look at everything with optimism. In confirmation of this, I now recall his words that mistakes are a wonderful thing and necessary for a person to grow up.

Each of us can make our life happy and give it meaning. Very often the path to this seems long and hard. Sometimes you think that everything is going wrong and there is no strength to move on. You just need to stop, listen to yourself, look at your desires, look at the examples of those who succeeded, feel how strength appears when you think that your dream has come true.

And... bolder to go forward.

It's worth it!

“All the answers are in you. You know more than is written in books. But to remember this, you need to read books, look into yourself, listen to yourself and trust yourself.” Leo Tolstoy

Jessica Cox

This girl officially became the world's first pilot without both hands, has a black belt in taekwondo and even a certificate from the Guinness Book of Records.

“Sometimes you may fall. It happens in life that you fall, and it seems that you have no strength to rise. Then you wonder if you have any hope... I have neither arms nor legs! It seems that if I try to get up at least a hundred times, I won't succeed. But after another defeat, I do not leave hope. I will try again and again. I want you to know that failure is not the end. The main thing is how you finish. Are you going to finish strong? Then you will find the strength in yourself to rise.”

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. "

Nick Vujicic

Born without arms and legs. He now runs a charity running a motivational speaking company called Attitude Is Altitude. By the age of 29, he managed to give lectures in most countries of the world. Married, has a son, in his free time he likes to play golf, ride a skateboard, windsurf.

"He who becomes a victim of prejudice, whatever his physical condition, will never be a winner." Jeff Honorato

I wrote this article about three years ago under the influence of the book I read. There are books about which you can say that they changed someone's life. The book about Simone Atzori was just that for me. Of course, all the changes that began to occur in my life did not happen in one day. In this regard, I am a "turtle". But the experience and history of Simone firmly settled inside me and began to influence my choice.

Having some problems with coordination, I always thought that drawing is definitely not for me: when my hands are shaking, how can you draw something here. After Simone's story, there were no more excuses. I have been taking watercolor lessons for two and a half years now. Quite unexpectedly, dance entered my life - FreedomDance classes, which radically changed my attitude towards myself and the world.

Most importantly, all this time the book did not let me go. I thought about how great it would be if our Russian readers could also get to know her. I started translating Simone's book. Having no such experience, I decided to translate it in its entirety and then offer it to the publisher. Things moved very slowly. After the new year, I decided to give up part of my main work in order to finish the translation of the book, especially since by this time most of it had already been translated. And once again the Universe heard me. Thanks to the help of one of the participants in the Stodnevka - Expedition to the New Self project, I met the editor of one of the publishing houses. A summary of the book with a summary of the chapters is currently under consideration.

Learn more

• 
  How to watch the last dance for free
• 
  How to play shut up and dance on the piano
• 
  How to do the get it ready dance
• 
  How to do the diva dance
• 
  How does dance communicate
• 
  How to dance like beyonce crazy in love
• 
  How long does dancing on ice last
• 
  Youtube how to swing dance
• 
  How to become a very good dancer
• 
  How to do the thriller dance video
• 
  How to dance like a striper