Powder Mag video on McCoy and Mammoth

On Thursday, August 29, 2013 8:01:14 AM UTC-7, lal_truckee wrote:
On 8/29/13 6:38 AM, Dave Stallard wrote:

Not sure how his kids are involved here - didn't he sell to Intrawest because his kids weren't interested in taking over? And isn't it Intrawest that is driving this attempt at expansion? Maybe there's something I'm missing here...



They just wanted to spend the money. They are involved in the corporate

Intrawest crapifying of American skiing exactly because "they weren't

interested in taking over."

Intrawest got its start selling condos and building lots adjacent to vacation-resort golf courses. Their ski-mountain operations are extensions of that practice, complete with the golf courses.

On Thursday, August 29, 2013 9:26:21 AM UTC-7, Richard Henry wrote:
On Thursday, August 29, 2013 6:38:49 AM UTC-7, Dave Stallard wrote:

On Wednesday, August 28, 2013 10:42:18 PM UTC-4, lal_truckee wrote:







I think they're idiots - they want to be a "destination" resort as an



ego boost. They are the local big mountain for LA - what's the



population of Southern California - 30,000,000 - and for an angeleno



it's not even a big drive. They have no customer numbers problem;



they've just been insulting their regular customer base while chasing



the will-o-the-wisp. Now they've bankrupted their town with airport



demands. Your kids aren't you, but you hope they learn from you. Dave



McCoy's kids apparently didn't.







Not sure how his kids are involved here - didn't he sell to Intrawest because his kids weren't interested in taking over? And isn't it Intrawest that is driving this attempt at expansion? Maybe there's something I'm missing here...







Dave



The video makes the statement that the kids sold their stake to Intrawest and Mom and Pop McCoy kept theirs, which makes sense based on the financial figures I have seen over the years. After thoroughly trashing the traditional feel of Mammoth, Intrawest sold out in a deal that makes the whole operation debt-heavy and beholden to big-city banks. McCoy always ran the operation with a checkbook and a handshake, which left him lift-poor but debt-free.



I can't blame the kids - they changed for minority owners of a business that required them to work full time in order to get their skiing privileges, to mega-wealthy who could afford to ski Mammoth (or wherever) whenever they chose without having to clear parking lots, maintain the inventory of hamburger buns, or man the phones.

To be clear - Dave sold out the last of his interest years ago for what was reported to be $350 million. He just turned 98 and still lives in the house he built decades ago outside Bishop. At one time, his kids and best friends had houses in the same little neighborhood; I don't know if they have moved on.

MMSA General Manger Rusty Gregory started as an accountant and skilift mechanic right out of college decades ago. He described himself in the June Lake meeting last summer as both an owner and a creditor as a result of the leveraged buyout that paid off the last of the McCoy interests.

On Thursday, August 29, 2013 7:53:56 AM UTC-7, lal_truckee wrote:
On 8/28/13 11:31 PM, The Real Bev wrote:



Like Mountain High down here.



NOT like Mountain High.



Elaine and I were thinking of hitting Mammoth (or maybe June) for the

first time this year. Rent a car down here, stay in a cheap motel. Any

recommendations?



Book into Motel 6 NOW (or Henry's equivalents) - you can cancel up to

5pm day of arrival, if nothing's changed in 15 years.

It has been years since I stayed at M6 in Mammoth. It was a step up from the skidorms where I rented a bed and a towel back in my Navy days.

Econolodge used to be known as International Inn in the 80's when we would rent a double-queen plus kitchenette for the family ski week. Now all the kitchenettes are gone, replaced by the usual hotel microwave-minifridge combination, and the name has changed to Wildwood Inn/Econoldge. If I am going to be there more that a night or two, I rent one of the bigger rooms upstairs, which costs about $5-10 more a night.

The Quality Inn across the street is run by the same family of East Indians.. It's a newer and nicer place, and for some reason when I checked prices yesterday it came up as cheaper than Econolodge, perhaps because I picked a day a couple of months from now.

Both of them put points onto my Choice Hotels loyalty account, which has hit over 40 nights the last couple of years due to a combination of skiing trips and following my son's soccer team. I have earned a half-dozen or so free nights each year on that program, in hotels where I would be staying anyway because of the low price.

On Thursday, August 29, 2013 12:26:21 PM UTC-4, Richard Henry wrote:

I can't blame the kids - they changed for minority owners of a business that required them to work full time in order to get their skiing privileges, to mega-wealthy who could afford to ski Mammoth (or wherever) whenever they chose without having to clear parking lots, maintain the inventory of hamburger buns, or man the phones.

And how old must his kids be by now? He's 98. So they must be retirement age themselves.

Dave

On Thursday, August 29, 2013 10:39:16 AM UTC-7, Dave Stallard wrote:
On Thursday, August 29, 2013 12:26:21 PM UTC-4, Richard Henry wrote:



I can't blame the kids - they changed for minority owners of a business that required them to work full time in order to get their skiing privileges, to mega-wealthy who could afford to ski Mammoth (or wherever) whenever they chose without having to clear parking lots, maintain the inventory of hamburger buns, or man the phones.



And how old must his kids be by now? He's 98. So they must be retirement age themselves.



Dave

Family photos -
http://www.tracksofpassion.com/content/7family.pdf

Poncho and Penny were the best skiers in the family. They competed world-class in the 60's and 70's.

http://www.tracksofpassion.com/content/9skiracing.pdf

On 8/29/13 9:48 AM, Richard Henry wrote:
It has been years since I stayed at M6 in Mammoth. It was a step up from the skidorms where I rented a bed and a towel back in my Navy days.

There were two IIRC: Kitzbühel and another (name forgotten) dorm
operation back when the kid was young. We stayed in both. Excellent for
a single person, and a great intro to the now nearly defunct world of
nomadic dirt-bag skiing. Good lessons for growing children. But almost
the same as a cheap room for two.

Sadly, both are gone.

On 8/29/13 9:26 AM, Richard Henry wrote:
I can't blame the kids - they changed for minority owners of a business that required them to work full time in order to get their skiing privileges, to mega-wealthy who could afford to ski Mammoth (or wherever) whenever they chose without having to clear parking lots, maintain the inventory of hamburger buns, or man the phones.

IMO it's akin to giving up the family farm. Should have been some
sibling interested in staying on to keep the corporations from raping
the land.

Oh well.

PS: trying to keep the family farm is tough; I know.

On Thursday, August 29, 2013 12:24:43 PM UTC-7, lal_truckee wrote:
On 8/29/13 9:26 AM, Richard Henry wrote:

I can't blame the kids - they changed for minority owners of a business that required them to work full time in order to get their skiing privileges, to mega-wealthy who could afford to ski Mammoth (or wherever) whenever they chose without having to clear parking lots, maintain the inventory of hamburger buns, or man the phones.



IMO it's akin to giving up the family farm. Should have been some

sibling interested in staying on to keep the corporations from raping

the land.



Oh well.



PS: trying to keep the family farm is tough; I know.

When my grandmother sold the family farm, inherited from one of the great-grandfathers (it was never really clear to me which), my father was ****ed that she didn't give him the chance first to buy a vacation camp lot up in the woodlot end (beech, ash, maple). As it turned out, the whole farm has been carved up into 10+-acre residential and camp lots. The family who bought it from my grandmother installed central heating, a fireplace, and a deck.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Fayst...,+Vermont&z=19

His brother bought one of the old schoolhouses up the valley and converted it to a house.

On Thursday, August 29, 2013 3:24:43 PM UTC-4, lal_truckee wrote:

IMO it's akin to giving up the family farm. Should have been some
sibling interested in staying on to keep the corporations from raping
the land.

Westerners and their flash-in-the-pan family businesses. Just compa

http://www.russellsgardencenter.com/aboutus.html
http://www.brineteamsports.com/

Dave

Dave Stallard wrote:
On Thursday, August 29, 2013 3:24:43 PM UTC-4, lal_truckee wrote:

IMO it's akin to giving up the family farm. Should have been some
sibling interested in staying on to keep the corporations from raping
the land.

Westerners and their flash-in-the-pan family businesses. Just compa

http://www.russellsgardencenter.com/aboutus.html
http://www.brineteamsports.com/

Dave

http://www.jakesseafoods.com/

49 years selling fried seafood and lobster and clams