Short version: North's new Orbit Ultra — the N-u80 kite — is the real deal, and we've had one on the Wild Atlantic Way since June, months before it went on sale. Paddy flew a pre-production prototype through three sessions on the west coast, and the verdict is simple: it's a great kite, with a feel closest to the F-One Brainchild kites we rate so highly — and a lovely sweet spot for jumping. That exact kite, a 1-of-1 grey prototype, is now for sale on its own at €1,799 or in our winter big air package at €3,195.
What the N-u80 actually is
North have just released the Orbit Ultra as the top of the Orbit range for 2026. The headline is the airframe: N-u80 is North's name for a 100% Ultra PE construction — a fibre with several times the tensile strength of polyester at the same weight — which lets them build a thinner leading edge and a stiffer, lighter kite that holds its shape when it's overpowered. On top of that it gets a six-point bridle, a higher aspect ratio and a more cambered profile than the standard Orbit. North's own line is that it's the fastest, most reactive Orbit they've built, aimed squarely at height, speed and control in big wind.
The kite we've been flying is a pre-production prototype of that same design in a grey colourway that never went into production. Same N-u80 material, same kite, different colour — the only grey one in existence.
How it flies
Three sessions isn't a full season, so take this as a first ride rather than a long-term test — but three sessions in proper Atlantic wind tells you most of what you need to know about a big air kite.
The thing Paddy kept coming back to is the sweet spot. The standard Orbit has always rewarded good timing; the Ultra widens the window. There's a broad, forgiving zone where the kite loads up, lifts hard and hangs, without needing to be sent perfectly to get the height. That's exactly the feel we love in the F-One Bandit Brainchild and the Trigger V2 Brainchild — kites that make jumping feel easy and repeatable rather than a lottery — and the Ultra sits in that company. The lighter, stiffer frame shows in the steering too: it turns quicker than the standard Orbit and doesn't flex out of shape when you're overpowered, which on the west coast is most of the time.
It's still an Orbit at heart — the hangtime, the stability in gusts, the feeling of a kite that's on your side when the loop goes slightly wrong. It just does all of it with a bit more speed and a bit more feedback.
Who should buy it
If you already jump and you're chasing height, this is the kite. If you're still working on your first solid boosts, the standard Orbit or a Reach is the kinder place to start — the Ultra's speed is a benefit you grow into, not a shortcut. The 9m is the everyday send size for an Irish winter: the kite you'll fly most from October to March.
Ours is for sale — and it's one of one
The production Orbit Ultra retails at €2,449. Our grey prototype is €1,799 on its own — flown three times by Paddy personally, never a school kite, fully checked. Or take the whole setup: the same kite with a Navigator Pro bar and a Lieuwe Falcon 137 with bindings as our winter big air package at €3,195, which puts the bar, board and bindings at roughly €1,396 together. There's one kite, so whichever sells first takes it. Used gear isn't eligible for the €400 free-gear offer.
Questions on sizing, or want to see it before you decide? Message us on WhatsApp or call into Barna — the kettle's on and the kite's in the bag.
