On land
Named after the famous street on the north-west shore of Lake Garda, the new freerider Ponale from I-99 looks wide and flat at first glance, with relatively thin rails and a pointed tail. The modern, glossy look is particularly eye-catching thanks to the striped deck. The non-skid paint is not applied across the entire surface, but only in stripes to make the board sparkle as much as possible. The price is also attractive - 1699 euros for a carbon construction, which makes you curious.
I-99 is starting the Ponale series with just one size and will be launching the 115-litre version this year. They are already working on further versions with 125 and 135 litres for next year. There are two options for strap mounting on the thin but grippy footpads: a moderate inside position and a "racier" outside position.
On the water
Right from the first few metres, you can clearly feel that this board was probably developed in the Lago-Kabbel of the Ora on the Ponale, in keeping with its name, because it also absorbs the chop of the Baltic Sea very well and sets in smoothly thanks to the strong "V" in the underwater hull. Without having to compensate for any bumps, the way into the foot straps takes very little effort. The board also gets up to speed well and, with the right mast foot position (slightly further back than in the centre), becomes really free at higher speeds and then looks really lively and fast. On the flat deck with a solid stance, this also invites the occasional chop hop. In the jibe, the board allows for all kinds of radii and can also be turned really tightly over the back foot, for example, but always wants to be actively guided.
The Ponale harmonises very well with camberless freeride sails - equipped with a slalom sail, the board seemed a little overpowered, because the power can no longer be sufficiently transferred to the fin via the tapered tail with its thin rails.
Even though it is very stable on deck and can be danced through the tack, it was quite slippery for barefoot surfers on the non-skid paint, which was only applied in strips. According to the manufacturer, the non-skid paint will remain stripy in series production, but the grip will be improved by a coarser grain. The weight has not yet been specified, as the carbon content is also to be increased in order to reduce the overall weight. The flex is to remain unchanged in order to maintain the soft ride feel.
Surf summary of the I-99 Ponale 115
A sporty, fast, pleasantly damped freerider with solid manoeuvring and jibing potential. There is a lot of performance here, only in combination with fast camber sails does the shape reach its natural limits at some point.
Technical data I-99 Ponale
- Volume: 115 litres
- Length: 236 cm
- Width: 73 cm
- fin: 38 cm G10 TB
- Price: 1699 Euro
Julian Wiemar
Editor surf
Born in Cologne in 1996, Julian grew up on the western banks of the Father Rhine, where he still pushes himself to new tricks almost every day as one of Germany's best freestyle windsurfers. He discovered his passion for water sports at the young age of five. 15 years and countless hours on the surfboard later, Julian traveled the world from Cologne after graduating from high school. With a German championship title in his pocket, he spent several years traveling to the best windsurfing spots on the planet in order to gain a foothold in the World Cup. With the aim of making windsurfing the focus of his life in the long term, the then 24-year-old globetrotter found his way to the surf magazine through his love of writing travel and spot reports.
There, as a trainee, he immersed himself in all the other areas of responsibility of a surf editor and was able to expand his expertise on a daily basis. With dedication and extraordinary enthusiasm for the sport, he is motivated to share his experiences, adventures and knowledge with readers in the world of windsurfing.
