2020 North Orbit First Impressions

Hey guys, it’s Nathan here from MACkite, and today, I’m going to talk to you about the 2020 North Orbit.

2020 NORTH ORBIT

We’ve not had a chance to thoroughly review the North Orbit at this time, so this post contains more of our first impressions as a reviewing team. Because we had limited time on it, and were testing it in some conditions that we weren’t necessarily used to, we want to get some more time on the kite to further develop our opinions on what we think this kite and who we think this kite is for.

The Orbit is an entirely brand new kite. It’s unlike anything else we’ve ever seen come out of the industry. It’s not a switchblade, it’s not a rebel, and it’s not a rally, but we believe it’s for the same type of rider. If you’re the guy that loves a kite that jumps well and is capable of satisfying any skill level – from beginner to enthusiast – then this kite is for you.

Is it great in the waves? Not necessarily.

Is it great for freestyle? Not necessarily.

It is a great all-around touring-type kite.

WHY WE’RE HUGE FANS OF THE ORBIT

Jumps are massive:

As the name suggests, the Orbit is a kite that’s going to send you into Orbit! I witnessed firsthand a few guys just launching this kite into the sky. It’s pretty remarkable. You’re also able to ride it quite overpowered as well. We rode a 10-meter up into a 30-knot range, and it felt within its comfort zone.

We also made sure to take the kite out in some lower winds, and it certainly has lots of power. The Orbit is in the moderate range in terms of bar pressure – similar to what you’d feel in a switchblade but not as light as a rebel.

Some key features:

The North Orbit has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. This is something we’ve been seeing in quite a few other kites for some time. Good to have it on the Orbit.

The profile transition panels are great! This feature allows the kite to maintain its shape a lot better, keeping its natural arc and maintaining an efficient flying profile. 

Bridle material:

North has come up with a way to manufacture the bridle material and splice it throughout the range and stretch it before cutting. This will keep shrinkage and stretching to a minimum, helping maintain your kite’s airframe for much longer.

While this isn’t something you’re going to realize right out the gate, it is a feature you’ll undoubtedly notice down the road. Your kite will perform at its best for much longer than some others in the field.

Some additional things about the Orbit and North’s 2020 lineup

The connection point between the struts and the leading edge is reinforced with kevlar. This reinforcement will help your kite maintain its airframe a lot longer and will be more durable against rough, prolonged use. Further, they’ve opted for only one knot in their connection points, meaning there are no options to slide it farther forward.

Overall, we’ve seen North simplify their entire design aesthetic.

SOME PERFORMANCE SPECS

The Orbit is a five-strut, high-aspect, powerful-feeling kite. It flies farther forward in the window, so it goes upwind rather well. Of course, kites that fly farther forward in the window tend to overfly – the Orbit didn’t do this at all, even in some pretty awful, gusty winds.

The canopy profile is very open. You can see why it gets so much loft from its jumps – it has a lot of the same design heritage as other kites that are more open. There are many new, big-boosting kites from pretty much every brand, and the Orbit fits this mold.

IT’S A JUMPER

There’s tons of power, and its turns are incredibly smooth. Because of its higher-aspect, open-arc design, it’s not the quickest kite in the world. It’s just a massive jumper! Again, not the best wave-riding kite, not the best foiling kite, but man, can the thing jump! It’ll just hang up there.

In the bar, you have a good amount of feedback. You’re not going to feel loads of pressure in the bar that’s going to pull out your arms. It’s very stable and confidence-boosting to ride this kite.

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

One of the things that our testing team really came up with on this kite that we were all really blown away with is this kite’s ability to loop. The Orbit loops amazingly!

For an all-around kite to loop well is rare – it’s not something we’ve necessarily seen in the past. Many people looking for a performance looping kite are going to go with something like the Dice, or the Effects, or the Vegas. They’re looking for more of a C-style kite that would accelerate through the window, loop with a ton of power, and then come back and catch you.

And the Orbit does precisely that! I watched a bunch of guys from different backgrounds toss loose on this thing, and everyone that came in on it was absolutely stoked on its ability to loop with a ton of power and catch you very early in the well.

If you’re learning to get into your first loops, or you’re a mega-looping aficionado, the Orbit is something you’ll really enjoy!

Of course, we know this is a lot of information, and, mainly, given the Orbit is unlike anything we’ve ever seen here at MACkite, we have nothing to base recommendations off of. Please feel free to call the shop for more information.