spencer@ttidcc.UUCP (David Spencer) (10/04/85)
How dangerous is it to do a helicopter after going over a mogul? Specifically, if you go over the mogul, spin around, land, and then your edges catch, what happens to your knees? Also, do any of the net.rec.ski.experts have any tips on the right way to learn?
lowell@fluke.UUCP (Lowell Skoog) (10/09/85)
Using a mogul is the safest way to do (and learn) a helicopter. You only need to spin about 270 degrees to ski out of it. The important thing is to do the stunt while skiing across the fall line, and start it by throwing the spin into the hill. That way a complete spin is not critical. You should practice doing helicopters on dry groung in tennis shoes. Work at it until you can land perfectly, with no subsequent movements or steps. Add ski poles (straps off) to get used to them. Try planting the pole that you spin toward. This is a personal preference--a pole plant can help time the movements in a helicopter just as it does in a turn. Then wait for a day with well packed, but not rock hard, snow. Find an elongated (ridge shaped) isolated mogul. Approach the bump from one side doing a long, sweeping, uphill christy. It is easiest if you are going slightly uphill when you leave the snow. Having practiced is a big help here. If you've practiced the spring and spin, you don't need much speed, so it's safer. Spring off the bump and twist into the hill. Use an uphill pole plant to time the movements, if you like. Keep looking over your shoulder. (If you don't, the spin will stall.) Look for the landing. If you get a good spring, a good twist, and keep looking, you should have no trouble completing the spin. Short skis help. Experience with straight-ahead jumping helps too. With pole straps and ski straps removed, modest speed, and snow that's not too hard, the crashes should be minor. You tend to land straight legged, so be careful to absorb the landing. After you've mastered this, you can try doing the trick in the fall line, off a mogul or a regular jump. Lowell Skoog, Seattle
marc@bmcg.UUCP (Marc Lee) (10/16/85)
In article <1207@vax1.fluke.UUCP> lowell@fluke.UUCP (Lowell Skoog) writes: >You should practice doing helicopters on dry groung in tennis shoes. Work at >it until you can land perfectly, with no subsequent movements or steps. Add >ski poles (straps off) to get used to them. Try planting the pole that you >spin toward. This is a personal preference--a pole plant can help time the >movements in a helicopter just as it does in a turn. I have a friend who teaches freestyle skiing, who uses the following rule of thumb when teaching helicopters: If the student can do a half-helicopter (180 degrees) from a standing position with skis on, he should be able to do a complete one off of a small mogul with about the same amount of effort. Actually, unless you have extremely long skis, it's not that hard to jump and do 180 or even 270 from a standing start. As an aside, my friend wrecked his knees doing double and triple helicopters, which is why he teaches now instead of competing.