Orbit

FREERIDE / BIG AIR

King of the Big Air Kites
Committing to overpowered airs and megaloops in gusty conditions demands an unwavering trust in your kite. Our iconic premier 5-strut kite delivers incredible top-end control and allows you to hold down more power than any other kite per square metre. Big jumps. Big hang time. Big wind range. This kite was designed to rocket you upwind fast, with effortless steering, extreme boosting and hangtime guaranteed to take your breath away. Tested by nature, proven on the podium. The Orbit has your back when the rules of gravity don’t apply. For 2022 we’ve made small refinements to the bridle, so the Orbit retains its light steering impulse, stability, high-end performance and kiteloop recovery. We’ve also further reduced the weight of the kite with new lighter weight bladders across more sizes, so the kite feels even lighter and more responsive in all conditions.

INCLUDES
Kite, Bag, Repair Kit

SIZES
5m 6m 7m 8m 9m 10m 11m 12m 14m

DETAILS

RECYCLED PET KITE BAG
Go Green. 33 recycled plastic bottles go into making every single North kite bag. Recycled PET fabric meets Global Recycling Standard.

NEW HYPERFLOW RAPID SINGLE-POINT INFLATION
New ergonomic high volume single point inflation system with large diameter hose for rapid inflation and deflation. The cap and valve base have been updated for more comfortable opening and closing in colder conditions (when your fingers are freezing). The bayonet style main inflation valve compatible with most pumps. No adapter needed.

2020 RED BULL KING OF THE AIR WINNER.
Tested by nature and proven on the podium.

DURALITE SEAM PROTECTION
Lightweight reinforcement to protect from chafing and abrasion along the struts to the leading edge. Thin foam padding is inserted underneath to form a lightweight durable buffer which lifts the kite slightly off rough surfaces and protects the stitching along the struts and leading-edge seams.

KEVLAR REINFORCED STRUT SYSTEM WITH BRIDLE DEFLECTORS
For the most accurate and durable connection between the strut and the leading edge. Bridle deflectors on the leading edge prevent the control lines catching on the struts.

HIGH PERFORMANCE HIGH TENACITY RIPSTOP CANOPY
All our kites are manufactured using high tenacity polyester yarn canopy material for lightness, high tear strength, zero porosity and longevity.

LIGHT BAR PRESSURE
In 2022 we’ve made small refinements to the bridle, retaining the Orbit’s controlled response and fast steering, while giving the kite a more energetic feel with increased depower. Chief Kite Designer Pat Goodman has worked closely with team riders to put the kite through hardcore testing in a lot of wind. This enabled us to further improve the stability, the feedback and the steering behaviour, and to give the kite a lighter, more responsive feel.

HIGHEST QUALITY NO-PULLEY BRIDLE LINES
Our high-quality spliced, pre-stretched bridle lines are pre-loaded and measured before cutting to improve accuracy and consistency. This results in reduced shrinkage, reduced elongation and improved longevity. Removing ALL pulleys from the bridle improves safety and gives the kite direct and precise handling.

AERODYNAMIC PROFILE TRANSITION PANELS
We've added an extra panel that connects to the leading edge seam to ensure a precise lateral profile shape is maintained as close to the leading edge as possible, creating a smooth transition from the segmented leading edge to the curved canopy so the profiles are more uniform throughout the entire wing. The panels reduce inconsistencies in the profile, resulting in a smoother, more efficient kite, with more aerodynamic airflow and less turbulence.

PHENOMENAL LOFT AND HANGTIME
The Orbit has a wide flattened 2-stage arc supported by a reinforced exo-skeleton frame, ensuring glide that is guaranteed to take your breath away. The Orbit makes the most use of its projected area, so it has the best hangtime and power delivery for its size.

POWERFUL AND EFFICIENT 2-STAGE ARC DESIGN
Our two-stage arc design incorporates a flattened, more open arc shape through the central power-producing region of the kite, where the energy is most useful for you performance-wise. This gives you the highest amount of projected area and projected aspect ratio, meaning the Orbit has the best hangtime and power delivery for its size. Pulling the wingtips in towards the rider gives the kite more responsive steering and the smoothest transition of the profile attack angles when it's under load.

STABLE 5-STRUT PERFORMANCE
When you’re chasing a storm, the Orbit provides incredible top-end control. The five-strut design gives it an incredible amount of stability and wind range, and you have a lot more control over the canopy movement at low attack angles. The Orbit has the widest wind range of all our kites. The fixed, no-pulley bridle is a little bit longer, and combined with its placement on the kite gives us a very stable platform in all conditions.

THINNER DIAMETER STRUTS
The Orbit’s five struts are surprisingly slender when inflated, helping to keep the weight of the kite down while providing canopy stability.

STRATEGIC CANOPY REINFORCEMENT
Lightweight canopy reinforcement material is used on the trailing edge and at the very leading edge to add strength and elongation control, protecting the lighter inner main canopy body and producing a durable kite that can hold its profile for increased performance and lift. Because the fabric is more conforming to the inflated structure than a traditional Dacron, it also helps create a smoother, cleaner entry on the profiles.

NEW LIGHTWEIGHT BLADDERS IN MORE SIZES
The lighter the kite, the faster the steering, the more lift it creates and the higher you jump. For 2022 lighter weight bladders have been adopted into more of the larger sizes in the range. This additional weight reduction helps the new Orbit fly more efficiently, so the kite feels even lighter and more responsive in all conditions – and particularly in light wind. It also improves the overall static balance of the wing by reducing weight in the front of the kite. Bladders make up a bigger weight percentage than any other material used in a kite. The new bladder material is 17% lighter than in previous bladders.

REDUCED DIAMETER LEADING-EDGE WITH SWEEP
Gives the Orbit a low drag profile, making it sit further forwards in the wind window for incredible upwind performance. The high aspect ratio swept design allows more area in the centre of the kite for efficiency and easy roll to relaunch.

CUSTOM-TUNED PERFORMANCE
The steering impulse options are the attachment points at the wing tip on your rear bridle. All our kites come delivered with what we feel is the optimum setting. On the Orbit, this is the lighter of the two, and gives the kite a lighter, more forgiving feeling. If you prefer a more direct steering and shorter depower travel, you're able to move the setting forward on the wing tip. This will increase the amount of depower and make the kite a little bit firmer in the steering and in the bar pressure. It gives the kite a more sporty feel, but requires a little more force.

PREDICTABLE IN THE UNPREDICTABLE
A high-performance big air kite that is stable and consistent in a wide range of conditions, especially in the high end. The Orbit’s ability to fly forward and catch you in kiteloops allows you to ride the kite overpowered without it getting away from you. But at the same time, it’s like a race horse - it wants to go. So you need to keep your eye on it. Note: the same characteristics that enable kiteloop recovery can make the kite front-stall sensitive, we recommend active rear-line tension for greater stability.