ski flying take off

To get set, lift one ski out of the snow and set it down flat. You are now held in place only by the tail of the other ski still stuck in the snow. To launch, push off with the flat ski and start sliding straight down the hill. Lean into the front of your ski boots to anticipate the canopy's pull. On gentle slopes, you might make a couple of skating steps to gain momentum. On steep packed slopes, you might snowplow to make the inflation more gradual.
You'll decelerate as the canopy inflates, then accelerate when it's over your head. High-back ski boots will help prevent you from being pulled over backwards. As the pull diminishes and you start to accelerate,look up and check the canopy.
Unlike a running launch, you can't run sideways to center yourself if the canopy comes up crooked. If the canopy isn't straight, you'll either have to correct it with your brakes or abort the launch. Aborting is easy--just do an uphill ski turn and pull the brakes fully. Skis have the advantage of speed, so dead-wind launches and even tail-wind launches are easier than normal. You don't have the power of a run though, so you must gain some speed before applying any brakes. On a gentle slope or with a tail-wind, if you brake as soon as the wing comes up you're likely to stall it.