Back in the ’70s and early ’80s, down at the Mammoth Tavern, Wednesdays were "Locals’ Night." One buck tacos and margaritas, and lots of local chatter. The twisted stories of ski resort life and love, mixed with lots of big business scuttlebutt played out like a dramatic TV series. I recall saying to my then-boss, Lakes District Review Publisher Jay Cole, "You know, Jay, someone should write a TV show about all this stuff..."

Someone finally did.

Recently, The WB (Warner Brothers) announced its second early pick-up for the fall season, ordering 13 episodes of "The Mountain" n the brainchild of one of Mammoth’s own children and grandchildren, David Barrett.

You might not know who Barrett is n undoubtedly you know his granddaddy, Dave McCoy. Yeah, the Mountain’s real McCoy.

Barrett, 33, is the grandson of Mammoth Mountain owner Dave McCoy. He and his wife, Melissa, split their time between Studio City and Bishop. The couple has a six-month old daughter, McKenna. Dave’s mother is McCoy’s daughter, Penny.

Barrett’s father is the renowned Hollywood stuntman, Stan Barrett. The younger Barrett has been following in his father’s footsteps, racing, jumping out of buildings, and crashing cars.

Stan was a stuntman for Burt Reynolds and Paul Newman in such films as "Smokey and the Bandit." As a youngster, David would invariably be on the set. "Watching my Dad, it made an impression on me. It didn’t take long to realize it was tough on him just to get out of the bed each morning," he recalls.

David’s brother, Stanton, races for NASCAR.

David immersed himself in the extreme lifestyle through ski racing, motocross, and doing Hollywood stunt work of his own. But his heart wasn’t in it. The creativity and challenge for David was in devising and directing the stunt. Soon, he landed some work as stunt coordinator for such epic films as "Aspen Extreme." Through persistent and tenacious effort he became involved in the second unit, the part of film and TV making that doesn’t include any actors-just stunts-such as blowing up cars, fist fights, and chase scenes.

It wasn’t long in his budding career before David became the youngest stunt coordinator at 25 years of age working on the film, "Stigmata," a thriller based on a Catholic curse.

It was around this time he knew it was interested in, and destined to, direct.

A McCoy Legacy

Growing up as the grandson of the owner of arguably the nation’s largest ski area, he’s had a unique, behind-the-scenes, insightful kid’s-eye-view of the past three decades of life in the McCoy clan and Mammoth’s ski business. It’s no wonder he wrote a TV series. The kid knows way too much. He’s probably got enough material to write 10 years worth of drama.

Not long into a career of bone-crushing stunts, Barrett figured he’d live a lot longer if he found a safer job. After a series of "let-me-show-you-what-I-can-do-as-a-director-stunts" and oftentimes doing if for nothing, he finally landed on his feet. He is proudly the co-creator, executive producer, and director of the new WB series, "The Mountain."

Come this fall, it’ll be "locals’ night" all over again, on Wednesday nights in Mammoth. The WB Network announced last week that "The Mountain," the new young adult drama from McG and Warner Bros. starring Oliver Hudson, will air Wednesday nights at 9 p.m., following "Smallville."

According to the WB, "The Mountain" chronicles the larger-than-life saga of the Carvers, whose colorful patriarch (presumably Dave McCoy) founded the town and its internationally famous ski resort after winning the land in a poker game.

"I hope I can give back something to this town, to my parents, and to my grandfather (Dave McCoy) who has been such a role model, who gave me so much," Barrett said.

"Grandpa Dave" (aka "Ho-ho" n a name David gave his Grandpa who started his tickling tirades with a cheerful "ho-ho-ho...") always taught him to live by the rules, and to respect others n especially the little guy. "Ho-ho taught me the meaning of waiting your turn. Thinking of others. Being fair. Giving people a chance in life."

The Mountain is Mammoth

"The Mountain" setting is a tiny ski resort town (a fictional Mammoth Lakes), nestled at the base of the magnificent Eastern Sierra peaks. The story pits a developer family and big box store mentality versus mom-n-pop businesses and small town community values.

The series will match high doses of extreme cliff dropping, powder slicing, mogul bashing, avalanche adventure with brilliant Alpine viewscapes and pristine snowy nights.

"We pitched the idea to Warner Brothers and they were extremely excited about it," Barrett said. "It’s a dark horse story, really. We’re about the Waltons who snowboard. People call us ‘The Snow-C’ (as in The OC)."

He’s shown the demo tape of his new series to some Mammoth locals and he’s getting good reactions. "It’s been fun to see that smile on their faces (while watching the show). It’s something that makes sense to them. It’s real honest."

"I recognize that I’m not creating this story for the execs in L.A., but like my grandpa (at Mammoth Mountain), we’re manufacturing fun. People are starving for it," Barrett said.

Barrett’s Résumé

Some surmise that’s how Barrett broke into the movie and television business so quickly. "People want to see characters they relate to and characters with moral values. Mammoth is all about those two things. I thank God for this place every day," he said.

Barrett was given the opportunity to work on an episode of "Pacific Blue," and was later nominated for "Best Action Sequence in a Feature Film" in the MTV Awards for his work on "Final Destination II." "We were only a $20 million movie up against $200 million giants."

He also worked on a Disney TV series called "Johnny Tsunami," which was set in a ski area. Later he sold a movie called "Motocrossed," one of Disney’s highest rated shows. The show was based on David’s motocross experiences with his grandfather, Dave McCoy. It airs repeatedly on the Disney Channel.

Lately he’s been directing more episodic programs, such as, "Without a Trace." Until recently, he’s been doing all of this work without an agent-something that’s unheard of in Hollywood. But it was time to get some representation after doing work for Fox, when his episode for the series, "Fast Lane," won an Emmy for "Best Action in a TV Show."

A Peak Inside Hollywood

Mammoth is a frequent backlot for films, television and commercials. It’s not uncommon for casting directors to use the Mammoth Times weekly newspaper for classified ads soliciting local extras.

Many movie stars, such as Will Smith, Jane Seymour and actor/Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger have been coming to Mammoth for years. Aside from the skiing, mountain biking, motor sports, fishing, hiking, clean air and relaxation, Hollywood appreciates the relative anonymity and space the locals allow them.

One 20-year resident, who also liked his anonymity said, "Seeing a movie star getting out of their Hummer and walking into Whiskey Creek (a popular restaurant and bar) is about as natural as seeing a black bear crawl out of the dumpster. It’s kinda neat to see, but it’s nothing to scream about. We see it all the time."

A Break for Barrett

One thing most viewers may not know about Hollywood is that new directors are rotated through TV series all the time. Recently, David went to Vancouver, Canada, to direct tough-to-manage scenes for free for three months. Eventually, he was offered the producing director spot. "But I wasn’t able to take the job because I was already booked to work on another project," he said.

Barrett got his biggest break with a shot at directing an episode of the popular series, "Without a Trace n Wannabe."

"I’ve been keeping this (‘The Mountain’) idea in the back of my head for a long time," he said. Finally, Barrett got his foot in the door and told an exec at WB, "I have a hit show idea for you, it’s set at a ski area, about my upbringing as a struggling motocross racer, who’s grandfather dies in an avalanche and is left as the president of the ski area. Of course, a big developer/family comes into town and begins playing family members against the other."

There’s little doubt Barrett’s taken a lot of his storyline from Mammoth in setting up "The Mountain." At the same time, he’s taken some creative license in writing it. Unquestionably, he’s inserted some pretty spicy drama in this series that many Hollywood insiders are calling, "The OC on snow."

Boundary Mountain is Mammoth Mountain

According to Jordan Levin, co-CEO of The WB, "The show is a reinterpreted family dynasty serial for a young-adult audience against the backdrop of the extreme-sports lifestyle."

The WB’s advance press accounts of "The Mountain," describe "Boundary Mountain (Mammoth Mountain) as an escapist playground for wealthy tourists and extreme sports enthusiasts, but to the Carver family, it’s home. ‘The Mountain’ chronicles the larger-than-life saga of the Carvers, whose colorful patriarch, David Carver, Sr. (guest star Chad Everett of ‘Mulholland Drive,’ ‘Medical Center’) founded the town and its internationally famous ski resort after winning the land in a poker game. When this legendary man unexpectedly dies, his choice of an heir sends shockwaves throughout the community."

Barrett plugs himself into the story as "a free-spirited David Carver, Jr. (Oliver Hudson, of ‘Dawson’s Creek’), who left home years ago to pursue his dream of becoming a world-class motocross racer, while his older brother Will (Anson Mount, ‘Crossroads’), diligently attended business school with every expectation of taking over the family empire. No one, least of all the brothers themselves, expected David to inherit the Mountain.

"Now, David finds himself saddled with a responsibility he never wanted and a brother who rightly feels betrayed. On top of this, he is torn between two women and suddenly immersed in a power struggle with a neighboring family. David just wants to run, until he realizes his grandfather may have had bigger things in mind."

"Through the episodes to come, David will begin to reconnect with his mother Gennie (Barbara Hershey, ‘Hannah and Her Sisters,’ ‘Beaches’) and teenage sister Shelley (newcomer Tara Thompson), and he will uncover long-buried secrets about his co-workers, his town and even his own family mythology."

Executive producers are McG (‘The OC,’ ‘the Charlie’s Angels’ blockbusters and the upcoming film ‘Superman’), Stephanie Savage (‘The OC’) and Shaun Cassidy (‘American Gothic’).

The show also stars Alana De La Garza (‘All My Children’), Johann Urb (‘Zoolander’), Elizabeth Bogush (‘Titans’) and newcomer Tommy Dewey, with guest-stars Mitch Pileggi (‘The X-Files’) and Penn Badgley (‘Do Over’).

High Flying Storyteller

Barrett clearly has a passion for telling the stories, often painful, of single mothers, brothers who can’t get along, and struggling marriages. But the heartaches are not the focus of his camera’s eye. Ultimately, all of the hullabaloo gets straightened out, the little guy is vindicated, and life in The Mountains rolls on. "There aren’t many chances in our lives where we can make the world a better place. I feel a lucky and a responsibility to make a difference," Barrett said.

"In test sessions, people were just in awe of the beauty of this place" Barrett said of his hometown region. "This place is winter wonderland that’s filled with incredible people with amazing stories. I want these characters to be inspirations. Real situations. In the end, I want the Carvers to make the right decisions and to encourage others to make the right decisions in their lives, despite temptations and personal challenges."

Barrett believes the effects of "The Mountain" will be far-reaching for the snow sports industry, and Mammoth in particular. "At the end of the show people are going to say, ‘Wow, I gotta go skiing or snowboarding!’"

For Barrett, it’s not about making it big in Hollywood, it’s about making it real right here in the mountains. After all the lights are turned off, the cameras are packed away, the stars’ limos head down US 395 back to Bel Air, and the ratings are published in "the trades," you still get the feeling that this 33-year-old kid is just living another mountain life-one who’s tickled just to be living here, and making it there.

"It’s neat to take this place, Mammoth, and transpose these ideals into Hollywood’s entertainment world."

It’s still all about the fun.