The I-99 Volare on land:
"Volare" means "to fly" in Italian. The Volare flying object is available in a single size, which has a capacity of 130 litres and a fairly compact length of 205 centimetres (6'7''). At just 7.5 kilos, the board is very light. There is a large pad on deck and a loop position far inboard and at the front for wingfoiling. For windsurfing, you can use the second row of plugs further out. However, two additional foot straps have to be conjured out of a hat for this, as the double strap supplied cannot be used for this purpose.
The I-99 Volare in a practical test:
The Volare can definitely be said to be maximally suitable for wingfoil beginners, heavy wingsurfers and gusty light wind areas. The 130 litre volume offers plenty of buoyancy, but it feels like it melts away significantly after take-off. The result: you stand up effortlessly with the wing in your hand, slip into the front strap and stand stable and balanced.
Thanks to the beak-shaped tail in the typical wingboard design, the board can be pumped freely with the legs and even at low speeds. In the air, the board, where the volume is mainly in the thickness, is small, compact and responds well to pumping and steering impulses. Despite its 130 litres, the board encourages you to jump and try out tricks, but also offers plenty of volume for stylish "bobbing home" as an alternative to floating on the usually much smaller, radical wingfoil boards in the under 100 litre class.
In the world of windsurfing, the board makes somewhat higher demands, although it would not be particularly difficult to fly. There is enough space on the deck for jibing, it is easy to edge with a sporty foil and the straps are positioned as a balanced compromise for a good mix of manoeuvre and speed. Due to the very compact trim, you stand more with weight on the front foot, a typical foil position, less like classic windsurfing. Foil freestylers in particular favour this stance. The three straps supplied fit very well for wing foiling, but for windsurf foiling you need, as mentioned, two single straps at the front. The board looks small and sporty with a sail, and was easy to edge and control with the Starboard Supercruiser Foil we used for testing.
Conclusion:
The I-99 Volare crossover board offers 100 per cent wingsurfing suitability plus 80 per cent windsurfing foiling - and therefore a convincing overall package. All of this is packed into a small-looking board with plenty of safety volume, which can handle everything from first flights to small jumps when used for wingsurfing.
Compact & lightweight
Carrying handle slippery
You can find tests on many other crossover boards HERE .
