Violet Snow Conditions (Icy, Sugary Snow, 0°C to -15°C)

Violet snow has almost no suction friction, but the abrasive, hard, icy snow ice crystals provide a kinetic resistance. This means durability is the biggest issue for both glide and kick waxes since the abrasive snow structure tends to rip away whatever is on your skis. Physically hard waxes are your best bet for glide in these snow types. Powders, marathon waxes, and synthetic hardeners are often used to increase durability.

Violet conditions come in a variety of snow crystal sizes. It can be very fine-grained, in which case hard waxes will work really well, or the icy crystals can be large, and corny in which case klister will be necessary. Violet conditions can also be straight-up ice where klister might not even work. On days like those, double-poling is probably in the cards! Base binders are super important in violet conditions. Most brands have an aggressive binder and a regular binder; you will want to use the aggressive binder. Grip can wear off in less than 5km without it.

A hardtrack ski is a must! A good hardtrack skate ski will have shorter glide pressure zones, a wider "wheelbase", a higher camber, and a stiffer flex. These properties help the skate ski feel more planted on harder tracks. If the snow is dirty, you may want to consider a clear/red/white-based ski to help repel that dirt. A good violet-condition classic ski will have enough camber to accommodate klister if needed and have the same hardtrack pressure zone characteristics as a skate ski. Make sure your classic ski has properly sanded grip zones to maximize your grip waxes life. Moisture can either be very present or not present at all, check with the snow on whether your need good structure on your skis or not.