The freshly updated 2024 Salomon Pulse aims its freestyle talents directly at advancing park riders seeking a playful yet stable board for tackling jumps, jibs, pipes, and the entire mountain. Salomon added the latest tech to an already proven twin shape designed for effortlessly spinning on and off rails along with booting big air.
Does the 2024 Pulse improve on previous models to claim its spot among the elite park snowboards? Our in-depth assessment breaks down if Salomon’s mid-flexing freestyle deck deserves a place in your quiver.
Table of Contents
Highlights of the 2024 Pulse’s Specs and Features
Before analyzing if the 2024 Pulse’s ride lives up its expectations, let’s highlight some of the key specs and tech behind this park snowboard:
- True Twin Shape
- Flat to Rocker to Flat Profile
- Aspen/Colombian Gold Woodcore
- Quadrax Fiberglass Laminates
- Edge Hold on Ice Tech
- Extruded Base 4000
- Medium Flex
Shreddable True Twin Design
Salomon constructed the Pulse using a symmetrical twin shape excellently suited for riding switch on the hill. The tapered directional flex pattern focuses ollie pop and stability right underfoot in the insert areas while allowing for buttery flex towards the blunted tips.
Lively Rocker Profile
A Flat to Rocker to Flat (FRF) profile energizes the Pulse’s performance tip to tail. The flat sections underfoot ensure solid edge hold for driving into carves while the rockered nose/tail lift the contact points for easier turn initiation and float in powder.
Lightweight Poppy Core
At the board’s heart, an Aspen/Columbian Gold woodcore uses premium lightweight woods to improve liveliness without sacrificing rugged durability. The vert-lam construction increases snap and rebound for boosting airs.
Damp Yet Lively Fiberglass
Biaxial Quadrax fiberglass forms the dampening outer layer allowing for solid hold on edge without deadening pop. The angled positioning under the inserts adds response while the flexible tips enable buttering.
Grip Tech Edges
Salomon’s Edge Hold on Ice tech utilizes slightly elongated contact points along the sidecut to bite better on hard ice without compromising turnability. The extruded base glides smoothly.
How Does the Pulse Handle Across the Mountain?
With its well-rounded freestyle design, the Salomon Pulse excels at tackling the entire mountain – not just the park laps. Let’s analyze how it rides in all terrain:
Groomers
Despite the playful rocker profile, the Pulse surprises with excellent grip and acceleration on hardpack corduroy thanks to the extended contact points. Short/medium radius carves feel energetic yet stable – no washing out. The poppy woodcore and quadrax glass offer a lively ride blasting groomer laps.
Powder
While not a powder-first design, the rockered nose does help the Pulse stay afloat and transition turns in fresh snow. Just don’t expect deep days bliss – the true twin shape lacks the tapered tail essential for effortlessly slashing deep drifts. For creative off-piste lines, it handles admirably.
Trees/Bumps
Nimble and quick edge-to-edge, the Pulse dances through dense tree lines with ease. The flex pattern centered underfoot combined with the rockered tips allows for snapping pivot slalom turns and absorbing bump impacts. dicey tight spaces or tricky lines.
Jibs
In the jib park, the Salomon Pulse absolutely shines. The centered medium-soft flex, initiating rocker profile, and twin shape all combine to offer buttery smooth presses on rails/boxes. Locking on with solid pop is easy for technical boardslides or slow-speed approaches.
Jumps
Send it confidently off kickers knowing the Pulse has the pop and stability to stomp landings with minimal effort. The flat sections underfoot allow driving into the transition for maximum boost off the lip while the rockered tips help float rotations to victory. Big air has never been such a blast!
Pipe
Carve deep into the walls, gather speed across the flats, then launch confidently out of the coping. Whether you are an aspiring halfpipe rider or seasoned vet, the Salomon Pulse takes you to the next level. The snap delivers the pop needed for technical tricks above the lip while the precise edge hold cuts a flawless line.
Who Should Buy The 2024 Pulse?
After breaking down the Salomon Pulse’s performance across varied terrain, a clear picture emerges of the type of rider that can maximize this board’s potential:
Resort park rats
For those dedicated to lapping the jumps and jib lines all over the mountain, the Salomon Pulse 2024 deserves your attention. The playful flex blended with exceptional pop and stability inspires confidence to take your rail game and kicker tricks to the next level.
All-mountain freestyle fanatics
Don’t restrict yourself to only the terrain park – dominate the whole hill! The Salomon Pulse splits the difference between jib noodle and aggressive freeride deck allowing creative riders to find lines all over linking playful tricks. Feel at home in any terrain.
Advancing tricksters
Going big just comes naturally on the Salomon Pulse. The lively yet stable platform offers a perfect canvas to paint your next technical rail combo sequence or introduce inverted rotations into your jump arsenal. Let your skills progress freely.
Is The 2024 Pulse A Good Value?
Priced at $480, the Salomon Pulse hits the sweet spot of being budget-friendly for most riders while still utilizing high-end materials and construction to ensure longevity over multiple seasons. Shoppers on a tight budget may want to look for previous year discounts, but at full price the latest 2024 Pulse remains a solid value investment compared to boards using similar quality components.
Invest upfront in Salomon’s tested tech like the Aspen/Columbian Gold woodcore, Quadrax fiberglass, and Extruded 4000 base instead of gambling on unproven discount boards that won’t last. Overall the 2024 Pulse’s performance justifies the reasonable spend.
Pulse Alternatives to Consider
While the Salomon Pulse tops our list as an exceptional all-mountain freestyle snowboard, a few other models compete closely if you want to compare options:
K2 Simple Pleasures
Another playful park deck with a very similar flex and profile, the K2 Simple Pleasures excels specifically for rails and boxes. It just can’t match the Pulse for big air capability off jumps.
Ride Twinpig 154
If you want more pow float ability without compromising park performance, the volume-shifted Ride Twinpig uses a short-fat shape to destroy everything. Just not quite as poppy as the Pulse.
Capita NAS Snowboard
For a super buttery jib-focused board that still tackles all terrain, the asym Capita NAS beckons. Be wary if you like straight airing kickers.
Pulse 2024: Final Verdict
Salomon’s freshly upgraded Pulse snowboard confidently carries the freestyle torch for the coming 2024 season. An already proven true twin park design benefits from enhanced stability and edge hold this year while retaining the energetic snap that makes boosting tricks off rails and kicks intoxicatingly fun. Mid-flexing liveliness blended with damp stability lets you hurtle at Mach 10 down steeps or ease into technical boardslide reverts with equal ability.
While far from a pure powder or big mountain deck, the Salomon Pulse holds its own surprisingly well when veering off-piste thanks to the rockered profile. Just point it and carve – this willing partner opens up the whole mountain for your freestyle antics. For the progressing park rider that wants one board to rule resort kickers, lap buttery side hits, dice tight tree shots and sustain 60+ day seasons, the 2024 Pulse can’t be beat. Salomon continues cementing their reputation for building advanced modern freestyle weapons suited for taking your tricks nationwide.
