heli-skier, n.
Brit. /ˈhɛlɪˌskiːə/, U.S. /ˈhɛliˌskiər/
[‹ heli- comb. form + skier n., after heli-ski v. Compare earlier heli-skiing n. and slightly earlier heli-ski adj.]
A participant in heli-skiing.
| 1983 Skiing Dec. 6/3, I discovered at once that the snow was too heavy for me to make precise turns, and I could see myself taking a header into a tree well—the deep snow holes that the wind scoops out around the bottom of trees, perilous traps that have caught many a heliskier. 1991 Sports Illustr. 14 Jan. 87/3 A tree well..is a pit in the snow at the base of a tree. It's created when the falling snow collects on the tree's branches, leaving a well-like space around the trunk... A heli-skier tumbled into a tree well and was not found until spring. 2000 N.Y. Times Mag. 19 Nov. ii. 100/2 Many experienced heli-skiers consider it a waste of time and money to take a helicopter trip unless one is a strong advanced skier comfortable with off-piste terrain. |