Pink Snow Conditions (Saturated, New Snow, +20°C to 0°C)

In pink conditions, the layer of fresh snow acts as a seal to keep all the water on the surface. This means the only type of friction to worry about in pink conditions is suction friction. The best ways to counteract suction friction is to get some aggressive structure into your ski base with a rill tool or an aggressive stone grind. Highly hydrophobic waxes like the soft paraffins (or in the past; fluorinated waxes) help a lot as well. Using a stiffer ski will also counteract suction friction by propping up most of the ski - giving space for water to vacate itself from the bottom of the ski.

Unfortunately, finding a kick wax in pink conditions is going to require klister. The softest, goopiest klister to be precise. A good wax for these conditions will contain silver and/or tar to help wax from icing up. It's very hard to find a substance that will get a grip on what is essentially liquid water, so what will generally be the best option in these conditions are hairies or zeros. The hairs and burrs on skis set up this way are actually able to penetrate below the film of water on top of the snowpack and dig into the more frozen layer beneath. Skin skis are also fantastic in these conditions for the same reason. Make sure to treat your zeros and skins with an anti-icing liquid!

Unlike Yellow conditions, Pink conditions will be best to have a black base ski as there isn't a big concern for dirt. Ideally, you want a ski that you're not afraid to deep structure into. Gliding pressure zones should be long for softer snow to help float over and not dig in. A classic ski should have a higher camber to accommodate klister. A zero ski is usually ideal in Pink conditions!