North Orbit 2026 Review: The Flagship for Riders Who Jump

Three kites frame any conversation about big air: the Ozone Edge, the Cabrinha Switchblade and the North Orbit. Here is the third.

The short version

• Model: Orbit Kite, 2026 season.
• Sizes: 5 to 15 m², twenty options counting colourways.
• Colours: Deep Purple, Orange, Turquoise.
• Purpose: big air, powered freeride.
• Price: from 1 729 €; the 10 m is 1 949 €.

What makes a kite a big-air kite

Worth spelling out, because "jumps high" is not a specification but the consequence of three things.

Lift. Set by area and profile. The kite must not merely pull forward but lift upward.

Hangtime. The ability to hold you in the air after takeoff. That comes from aspect ratio and from how the kite behaves at the top of the window.

Predictability at the top end. Big air happens at the upper limit of the wind range, where softer kites start to wander. A jump is the moment a mistake costs most.

The Orbit is built around all three, which is exactly why it is not an all-rounder. For that, North's range points you at the Reach.

The Orbit Ultra: fractional sizes and what they mean

The most interesting detail in the range. The standard Orbit runs round sizes: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 m². The Orbit Ultra runs 5.9, 6.6, 7.3, 8.1, 9, 10, 11, 12.

Fractional sizes are rare in kiting and they always mean something. Round numbers suit a price list: buyers think in sevens and nines. Fractional ones mean the sizes were chosen around real power curves rather than around habit.

In practice: the step from 5.9 to 6.6 is 12 %, from 6.6 to 7.3 is 11 %. An even logarithmic progression where each size adds the same increment of power. A round range wanders: 5 to 6 is 20 %, 11 to 12 is 9 %.

Who this matters to: anyone building a three- or four-kite quiver who wants the range covered without gaps.

Ultra versus standard: the price is not what you would expect

The standard Orbit 2026 starts at 1 729 €. The Orbit Ultra starts at 1 728 €.

Effectively identical, because the Ultra belongs to the previous season. A lightweight build at base-model money is an unusual situation and worth exploiting.

What low weight buys was covered in detail in our Alpha V3 Ultra-X article: lift first raises the kite itself, and only the remainder reaches you. In big air that works twice over — a lighter kite both lifts higher and holds longer.

Twenty options: do not panic

The listing shows twenty positions, but there are only eight models: each size comes in three colourways — Deep Purple, Orange, Turquoise.

Colour is not only aesthetics. On the water it matters that your kite looks different from everyone else's in the sky: in a crowd that is a question of orientation, and sometimes of safety. Turquoise shows well against cloud, Deep Purple against bright sky.

Which sizes to buy

For big air people go slightly larger than for freeride: lift follows area.

• under 70 kg: 7 and 9 m²
• 70–85 kg: 9 and 11 m²
• 85–95 kg: 10 and 12 m²
• over 95 kg: 12 and 15 m²

The general sizing logic is in our size table.

Who it suits

Riders who jump and want more height. The main and honest audience.

Riders in strong wind. The kite is built for the top of the range.

Riders who already go well. A big-air kite always means a lot of lift, and early on that is surplus.

Who it does not suit

Beginners. Take the Reach: more universal and far more forgiving.

Wave riders. You want drift — that is the Carve.

Freestylers. You want sharp pop and slack — that is the Pulse.

2026 or 2024?

The Orbit 2024 sits in our catalogue from 750 € against 1 729 € for the 2026. More than double, and it is the most practical question across North's whole range.

In short: unless you are chasing the last few percent of performance, last season is almost always the better buy. At length, separately.

Common questions

How does the Orbit differ from the Reach?

By job. The Orbit is big air with the emphasis on lift and hangtime; the Reach is an all-rounder for freeride and progression.

What does the Ultra version give you?

Lower weight and a fractional size range with even steps in power. Right now it costs roughly the same as the standard.

Which size first?

For 75 to 85 kg, a 9. A second is better as an 11 than a 7: jumping rewards area.

Is the Orbit suitable for a beginner?

No. A great deal of lift at a stage where you cannot yet control takeoff is a poor combination.

How many sizes do I need?

Two for a season. Three if your spot regularly gives both 14 and 30 knots.

Where to buy

North Orbit 2026 from 1 729 €, Orbit Ultra from 1 728 €. The range is on the North page, and the brand in our review.