Warm Fire, Good Book

For the Love of It: The Mammoth Legacy of Roma & Dave McCoy

Penniless, largely abandoned by his parents, Dave McCoy first strapped into a pair of self-made wooden skis in the early 1930s. While he showed early leanings toward becoming the ideal ski bum, a prowess for mechanics and critical thinking lured him into tinkering with rope tows and coaching ski racers. By the turn of the 21st century, he had built world-renowned Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort and guided some 20 Mammoth ski racers to the Olympics.

Written by Robin Morning, a ski-obsessed amateur ski historian who spent her racing years coached and inspired by McCoy, her book captures the charismatic story of Dave and his wife Roma’s love affair with California’s Eastern Sierra, of skiing, ski racing, and how the couple so deeply enhanced the alpine world around them. More important than McCoy’s accomplishments were the methods he employed. Balancing strength and confidence with humility and kindness, he cared more about the happiness of people around him than about how much money he was making. His belief in the individual brought out the best in people and inspired team spirit.

In 2020 at the age of 104, Dave passed away. He is remembered for his athleticism, business skills, goodwill, philanthropy, and for his signature question, “Did you have fun today?”