Dave McCoy, who founded the iconic Mammoth Mountain ski resort, died Saturday, February 8, 2020. He was 104.
In 1937, McCoy utilized the rear wheel of his Ford Model A to tow skiers ($.50 per person) up Mammoth Mountain, setting the foundation for one of the most storied areas in skiing. He then secured a year-to-year permit to operate rope tows in the Eastern Sierra, and in 1955, Mammoth’s first chair lift was installed.
Since then, under McCoy’s leadership (he was notorious for never taking a vacation), Mammoth grew into one of the premier ski resorts in the world—a truly impressive feat if you take into account the mountain’s remote location and the extreme weather of the Eastern Sierra mountains.
“I was shocked by the news of his passing,” said Rusty Gregory, former CEO of Mammoth Mountain. “Yes, he was on in years. But he was such a force of nature that it was hard to accept. Dave was Mammoth Mountain.”
McCoy was one of the pioneers of the ski resort industry in North America, and his presence will be missed in Central California and beyond.
