Brad Strahm's Review on the North Astra Kiteboard

What's up guys? Brad here, and today I'm here to tell you guys a little bit about my experience with the 2022 North Astra.

I've been riding the North Astra for the past few kiteboarding sessions, and initially I was expecting this board to be fairly identical to an Atmos, since that's basically the shape that it's based off of. However, it actually feels quite a bit different. It comes with a inherently narrower stance on it and a softer core, as it's made more for a lightweight rider. I myself am a lightweight rider, so I kind of fit the target market for it, and it felt surprisingly good.

The softer core made going through chop feel really good. Landings felt extra soft, and you could definitely land a little harder than you would expect yourself to be able to with control. The pop on the board was also quite good. Being a lighter weight rider and this board being a little bit softer, I was able to flex it and control it a little bit more than I would be able to, say, on a carbon fiber Atmos, or even a normal wood core Atmos since I'm not inherently heavy enough to flex that board to its maximum ability. However, this board, being focused more for a lightweight rider, gave me more dynamic control of the board, and it overall felt really good.

The Astra is also available in sizes smaller than the Atmos. I believe it goes down to a length of 129 cm, which is smaller than the smallest Atmos you can get. If you know a lighter weight rider, or you are a lighter weight rider and you're interested in trying out a new board, I would highly recommend the North Astra.

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