Breck Guide: Kevin “Spag” Eddy

Imagine it is the Spring of 1992 in Lake Tahoe, and in an extraordinary feat, 11 feet of snow just fell in seven days. You find yourself to be one of a handful people who has made it to Kirkwood, just as the storm breaks and the resort reopens. The other skiers there just happen to be legends Glenn Plake, Paul Ruff, and Mike Hattrup, filming the latest Greg Stump film.

That is exactly where Kevin “Spag” Eddy found himself 25 years ago on one of the most memorable days of his life. In his youthful confidence, he thought he was “a pretty rad skier.” It was that day he found out that, in fact, he was not. “Skiing with those guys, I realized that I had a long way to go—I was terrible!” But that didn’t stop the day from being epic. He hucked himself off anything and everything, busting through feet of powder to keep up with his heroes. Inevitably, being left in their dust only made him ski harder.

To this day, Spag will tell you he sometimes skis a little too hard, though he’s older, wiser, and more skilled than he was back then. His life has always been skiing though, and approaching it wholeheartedly and with a sense of humor is the only way to go about it. His best memories, like the one in Kirkwood, have all happened on a ski run. He grew up skiing in the Black Hills of South Dakota, skied throughout his college years in Wyoming, taught ski school in New Mexico, and ran his own ski school back in South Dakota. Then in the Spring of 2009, he took on a new opportunity to join the team in Breck.

Lured by Breck’s unique high alpine terrain, Spag packed up and headed for the Colorado Rockies. Now, after nine years, he feels at home in the crisp, cold mountain air, making turns on Breck’s five 12- and 13,000-foot peaks. Sharing his love of that terrain with clients and taking them to places they otherwise wouldn’t get to explore on their own is one of his favorite parts of guiding.

Spag loves a challenge, and he loves to challenge his clients. But don’t worry, his number one priority is always safety, and he promises you’ll come home with all the same parts you show up with. He’s also pretty sure that there’s no situation you encounter that can’t be solved with a good Caddyshack quote. If you want a real challenge, try quizzing him on movie quotes and song lyrics. According to his fellow guides, he’s unbeatable.

What else do the other Breck Guides say about Spag? That he’s hilarious, energetic, enthusiastic, honest, genuine, and the kind of guy you want to work with.

Oh, and if you haven’t figured out his nickname yet, try saying “Spag Eddy” quickly… now that’s a spicy meatball!