Introducing the Flow State BlueJacket LE
The Flow State BlueJacket LE is a limited edition collaboration with the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC).
In 1991, Astral Founder + CEO, Philip Curry worked for NOC as a raft guide on Section IV of the Chattooga River.
That summer, Philip and the rest of the guides often guided barefoot and wore flimsy PFDs made from toxic PVC foam. Both Astral and the NOC have come a long way since then.
Astral has become an innovator in the outdoor industry, basically eliminating toxic PVC foam from the PFD industry, inventing breathable life jackets, developing paradigm changing footwear designs with some of the stickiest rubber ever worn on wet rock. NOC has become an award-winning outdoor recreation leader, known for its guiding services, events, world-class facilities and instruction.
To celebrate NOC’s 50 years in business the Flow State BlueJacket LE features artwork by Western North Carolina-based artist Brent Baldwin. The scenes depicted on the life jacket draw inspiration from:
The Wild + Scenic Chattooga River, which inspired the origins of both the NOC and Astral. From its headwaters through Section 00, down into the Five Falls of Section IV and across Tugalo Lake.
NOC co-founder, Aurelia Kennedy, who foraged for morel mushrooms in the woods and would return to add them into her favorite recipes at the River’s End Restaurant.
The late, great William Nealy’s artistic influence, which shaped the culture and knowledge of the Southeast’s whitewater community.
Astral’s roots with the NOC…from the first life jackets sold out of the back of Philip Curry’s pickup in the NOC’s parking lot to Astral’s long business history with the NOC and the shared pursuit of seeking flow state in Nature.
The Flow State BlueJacket LE features the same life jacket architecture as the original BlueJacket. It is quick release belt compatible and is sold exclusively through the NOC’s Outfitter Store and online at store.noc.com.
