Skiers begin at the top of a large hill and ski down a slope (known as an inrun) to launch themselves off one of two or three vertically inclined kickers.

After launching themselves off the kicker, skiers then complete several twists and flips before attempting to land upwards on a declining hill of prepared snow.

[13] During summer months, aerialists train by performing jumps off specially constructed water ramps and landing in a swimming pool.

[14] Aerialists may also use trampolines to practice techniques specific to aerials such as a straight body position.

Form includes positioning of the body, precision of performance, balance, mechanics and stability while in the air as well as the timing of the jump.

In general, the greater number of flips and twists a jump contains, the higher the degree of difficulty will be.