Discover N-u80
Engineered in collaboration with the North Advanced Textiles Division, N-u80 is North's uncompromising, highest-performing kite airframe material. It's part of the N-Series: a range of materials developed specifically for North products. N-u80 is, at its core, a woven construction that pairs directional stiffness with torsional flexibility, each placed exactly where it's needed most – redefining the benchmark for performance on the water, and shaping the future of kiteboarding.
50% LIGHTER
5X STRONGER
Around 50% lighter than N-Dure 2, 40% lighter than N-Max 2.
Five times the tensile strength of polyester at the same weight – a different material class entirely.
DYNAMIC TORSION
A new, engineered balance of directional stiffness and torsional flexibility – holding shape under load while allowing the airframe to twist progressively through the turn.
PODIUM PROVEN BEFORE RELEASE
In the past 12 months, N-u80 has been ridden to win after win by Nathalie Lambrecht, Cohan van Dijk, and Francesca Maini, all on the same unreleased construction.
Woven from 100% Ultra PE – eight times the tensile strength of polyester at the same weight – this 0°/90° base carries the mechanical load through the weave itself, giving N-u80 its directional stiffness.
What does N-u80 stand for?
N – N-Series, North’s line of unique high performance materials
U – Ultra PE, the fibre it’s built from
80 – the weight class of the cloth, 81–85gsm
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MEET THE KITES POWERED BY N-u80
The Ultra Series is North's tier for uncompromising performance across kites and more to come in the North range. N-u80 powers the first Ultra kites, the Orbit Ultra and Reach Ultra.
How durable is N-u80?
Built to handle UV, tearing, folding, and abrasion over time, so performance holds up ride after ride. Reinforced stitching along the leading edge also significantly cuts the risk of biader failure.
PROGRESSIVE TORSION FLEX
N-u80’s 0°/90°/30° weave is tuned for holding its form under load, while the 30° cross-ply Technora stiffens the bias direction, letting the tube twist progressively through a turn rather than folding or overloading at one point.
REDUCED DIAMETER, ZERO COMPROMISE
N-u80's higher stiffness-to-weight ratio allows North designers to slim down the leading edge and struts without losing structural integrity. This creates a lighter, lower-drag airframe with room for a higher aspect ratio, bigger boosts and faster water recovery.
FASTER TURNS, EARLIER RESPONSE
With N-u80, stiffness and torsional flex are engineered to work together, and the airframe holds its shape under load but twists exactly where needed, so the kite responds earlier, turns faster, and needs less input to initiate a turn while carrying speed through it.
Ultra series made with N-u80
Built to handle UV, tearing, folding, and abrasion over time, so performance holds up ride after ride. Reinforced stitching along the leading edge also significantly cuts the risk of biader failure.
FAQ
N – N-Series, North’s line of unique high-performance materials
U – Ultra PE, the fibre it’s built from
80 – the weight class of the cloth, 81–85gsm
N-u80 is engineered primarily for high-performance kites and provides a higher stiffness-to-weight ratio than standard materials. That allows our designers to use a thinner leading edge without giving up stiffness. The result is a kite that accelerates faster, recovers faster after loops, and holds its shape better in strong wind and gusts. The woven construction adds directional stiffness but also offers torsional flexibility for faster, smoother turning ability.
Three things: it reduces weight for a lighter kite, offers higher stiffness for less deformation under load, and maintains exceptional turning ability.
N-u80 is built in the 81-85gsm range.
N-u80 is currently built into the Orbit Ultra and Reach Ultra. More products will follow as the Ultra range expands.
For riders looking to get the highest level of performance out of their gear.
N-u80 is a different material class entirely: 100% Ultra PE, a fibre with up to five times the tensile strength of polyester at the same weight, lined with PET on the inside only. Where many premium materials laminate the fibre to a structural film or film sandwich, N-u80 is primarily woven: a denser weave of Ultra PE that carries most of the mechanical load. A diagonal cross-ply Techno rare inforcement stiffens the bias direction, while the construction maintain storsional flex. N-u80 delivers a higher strength-to-weight ratio than standard materials. The result: a lightweight, stiff kite with exceptional turning ability and handling.
N-u80 is developed to NTG’s own specifications, not shared with other brands. Other brands do use UPE-based fabrics of their own, in different formulations.Aluula, for example, has a UPE core.
Lighter, more direct, faster to respond. N-u80’s light weight allows the kite to turn faster and recover better from loops, sits further forward for bigger jumps and more hangtime, and holds its shape better in gusts and strong wind all while offering smooth predictable turning and a fun, responsive ride.
N-u80 kites are tuned to keep the same feel and DNA as their iconic Dacron versions but are lighter. Because these kites are built for the highest level of performance, bar pressure is tuned slightly lighter – easing steering and making for a more comfortable ride in powered conditions.
N-u80 is tuned for the highest level of performance but maintains the accessibility North is known for. Riders of any level will feel the benefit – the harder you push it, the more it gives back.
Early prototypes were developed with different versions of this cloth. As the material and construction were refined the black N-u80 held up best in longevity testing with the least colour variation.
N-u80 was a team-wide effort to begin with, giving our top riders a material that could keep up with where high-performance Big Air and freeriding were already heading. Marc Jacobs brought hisexpertisefrom Big Air to analyze what the kite needed. Cohan van Dijk rode prototype after prototype, reporting back, pushing the design further each time. Then, at Red Bull King of the Air 2025, Nathalie Lambrecht rode the finished kite to a historic win. Cohan also finished on the podium the same day, riding a kite with the same then-unreleased construction.
N-u80 is engineered in-house atNorth, andproduced according to specifications at partner facilities.
For now, N-u80 is only used in kites. Every product at North gets the material best suited to its performance, and kite airframes need more torsional flex for steering than wing (foiling) airframes do.