Moments before being launched off the table, the athlete undergoes a sudden increase in g-force due to the curvature – or 'compression' – of the bottom of the inrun. They then initiate a very powerful, explosive jump that requires great leg strength. At this instant the skis are opened up into a horizontal "V" shape, legs straightened and spread apart, and arms held backwards as the athlete adopts their own unique flying position and enters the "transition". This highly aerodynamic "V" essentially turns the athlete into a 'flying wing', and all of this takes place in only a tenth of a second before the transition is then "closed" and the flying position maintained until the end of the jump.