#ThankYouDave – Mammoth Mountain Says Goodbye to its Beloved Founder

“Behind every mountain is a story, and behind every story is a legend. And one such legend was Dave McCoy.”

Mammoth Mountain gave a heartfelt goodbye to its beloved owner this week, just two weeks after the California skiing pioneer passed away at the age of 104. Watch the video above to see his brilliant life and how he brought mainstream skiing to California.

McCoy, originally from El Segundo, California, was a former California State Champion in skiing and moved to the Eastern Sierra’s in his teens, where he was a state hydrologist. Following several attempts to create makeshift ski areas throughout the Easter Sierra, he noticed the snow was better at Mammoth and set up a rope tow on the mountain in 1942.

Although there were struggles early on, the eventual success of the ski resort led to a massive development of the area, including the incorporation of Mammoth Lakes, California in 1984. In 2018, Mammoth was one of the three most visited ski resorts, drawing about 1.21 million skiers and boarders

McCoy retired in 2005, but stayed involved in the mountain and ski into his 90’s. Rest in peace, Dave.

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

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