🚀 go-pugleaf

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