2019 Nordica Astral 88
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Ski Stats

Sidecut 124/88/109
Radius 14m @ 158cm
Lengths 151,158,165,172
Weight 1540g @ 172cm
MSRP $699
FIND
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The Nordica Astral 88 and Santa Ana 93 both belong in the All-Mountain East genre by dint of their waist width, but they do not spring from the same soil. The Santa Ana is the slenderest of a family of off-trail skis; the Astral 88 is the fattest member of a clan of what you might call on-trail skis with off-trail benefits. The Astral 88 purloined its snub-nosed shape from the Santa Ana series, giving the Astral 88 off-trail adaptability without disconnecting the shovel from the rest of the ski. The squared-off tail traces back to the on-piste Sentra series, with a focus on sustained edge grip. The same Titanium Hex Bridge that makes the men’s Navigator series one of the best values in skiing powers the Astral 88’s crisp, accurate turns.

The Nordica Astral 88 and Santa Ana 93 both belong in the All-Mountain East genre by dint of their waist width, but they do not spring from the same soil. The Santa Ana is the slenderest of a family of off-trail skis; the Astral 88 is the fattest member of a clan of what you might call on-trail skis with off-trail benefits. The Astral series draws on several influences to create an all-terrain vehicle.

Beginning with the tip, the Astral 88 purloined its snub-nosed shape from the popular Santa Ana series, giving the Astral 88 off-trail adaptability without disconnecting the shovel from the rest of the ski. The squared-off tail traces back to the on-piste Sentra series, with a focus on edge grip and energized turn transition. The same Titanium Hex Bridge that makes the men’s Navigator series one of the best values in the worldwide ski market powers the Astral 88’s crisp, accurate turns.

“Light but stable!” exclaims Kimberley from Cal Ski Co, pleasantly surprised that it manages to be both. “Fun and forgiving,” Kim continues, “Great on groomers for both intermediate and advanced skiers.” Clare Martin, a frequent contributor from Peter Glenn’s Atlanta location, lauds the Astral 88 as “a very stable ski without being too rigid. It’s a very good all-mountain ski that would build confidence in the intermediate skier.” Jolee from Footloose agrees, assessing the Astral 88 as “very responsive, a really fun ski that handles well going fast as well as slow.”

For its willingness to react to light pressure, its lightweight design (the core is made from balsa and its Titanal layer is perforated) and stability that endures in snow both hard and soft, we award the Astral 88 a Silver Skier Selection.

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Test Score Data

Total Score: 80.83
Early to Edge:
Continuous Carve:

Rebound/Turn Finish:

Stability/Accuracy @ Speed:
Short-radius Turning:
8.67
8.17
8.00
8.17
8.67
Off-piste Performance:
Low-speed Turning:
Forgiveness/Ease:
Drift/Scrub:
Finesse/Power Balance:
6.83
8.33
8.33
7.33
8.33

Women’s Test Data Advisory

Please be advised that our 2022 women’s ski reviews do not show any test data, on either our public or members’ sites. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we haven’t been able to collect sufficient test results to justify showing a statistical summary.

While Realskiers members won’t be able to see stats on women’s reviews, they will see a longer, more in-depth narrative than what’s posted on our public site.

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