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
