Tracks of Passion, 2nd Edition

"It wasn't a job. It was a love affair." These are the words Dave McCoy, the visionary founder of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, used to describe his career. A skillful, kind and generous leader, Dave frequently voiced to his friends, family, employees, ski racers, and strangers that "having fun" was the key to a successful life. Born in 1915, Dave lived out his life as the hero of an American rag to riches story. Starting with basically nothing, he first entertained skiers with rope tows he built on McGee and Mammoth Mountain. By the time he passed away in 2020 at the age of 104, he had created one of the world's most popular ski areas with 27 chairlifts, a gondola, lodges, and other skier amenities. He also coached at least 15 ski racers to U.S. Olympic teams, and in his spirit of goodwill performed endless acts of kindness to individuals as well as to the Mammoth Lakes community where he was the guiding force that built a school system, a hospital, and a college.