Ricta Wheels 86A Ditch Formula Skateboard Wheel Set are engineered for riders who demand speed, control, and lasting performance. Built with premium urethane for a smooth, consistent ride, these wheels deliver exceptional grip and durability across streets, parks, and rougher terrain. Their precision-balanced design ensures fast acceleration, stable cornering, and reduced vibration, giving skaters the confidence to push harder with every session. Whether you're carving, cruising, or landing technical tricks, OJ Elite Wheels combine style, resilience, and pro-level responsiveness to keep you rolling at your best. Key Features: 86A Ditch Formula urethane for a smooth ride on rough and uneven surfaces Excellent grip and shock absorption for enhanced comfort and control Precision-balanced shape for stable cornering and predictable handling Durable construction designed for long-lasting wear resistance Fast-rolling performance ideal for cruising, carving, and hybrid terrain skating Reduced vibration for better board feel on streets and rough pavement Suitable for skaters seeking a balance of softness, speed, and responsiveness Who are Ricta wheels. Ricta Wheels has carved out a unique legacy in skateboarding by redefining what skaters expect from wheel performance. Founded in 2002 by Jeremy Fox and Ian Deacon out of the Flip Skateboards camp, the brand emerged at a time when wheel innovation was becoming central to progression in modern street skating. From the beginning, Ricta positioned itself as a technology-driven company, focused less on hype and more on solving real problems skaters faced: flat spots, rough terrain vibration, speed loss, and inconsistent slide control. In the early 2000s, skateboarding was evolving rapidly. Street skating had become more technical, ledges and handrails were bigger, and terrain was rougher than the polished skateparks many brands designed around. Ricta responded by developing formulas that emphasized durability and speed retention. Its Rapido and later NRG urethane compounds quickly earned respect for resisting flat spots while maintaining smooth roll speed, helping skaters land harder and roll away cleaner. This engineering-first approach helped distinguish Ricta from competitors in a crowded wheel market dominated by more established names. One of Ricta’s most important contributions to skateboarding has been its pioneering work with cored wheel technology. While cored wheels existed before Ricta, the company helped bring them into mainstream street skating. By integrating lightweight internal cores, Ricta reduced rolling resistance, increased speed, and improved shape retention on impact. For skaters jumping down stairs or skating crusty urban spots, this meant faster acceleration and less wheel deformation under pressure. Ricta’s Speedrings and Cores series became especially influential because they blended the feel of traditional street wheels with modern high-performance engineering. Perhaps no Ricta product has had broader cultural impact than the Ricta Clouds series. Introduced as a versatile soft-wheel option, Clouds helped bridge the gap between street skating and all-terrain cruising. Before soft hybrid wheels became mainstream, many skaters had to choose between hard park wheels or oversized cruiser setups. Clouds changed that by offering softer durometers in street-friendly sizes, allowing riders to skate rough pavement, film lines on uneven ground, and cruise city streets without sacrificing trick capability. This innovation helped fuel the rise of filmer boards, hybrid street-cruiser setups, and the growing popularity of rough-terrain urban skating. Ricta’s team roster has also amplified its influence. Over the years, riders such as Nyjah Huston, Arto Saari, Bob Burnquist, Tom Penny, Brandon Westgate, and Louie Lopez have represented the brand, bringing credibility across every discipline from transition to technical street skating. Their video parts showcased not just talent, but how wheel choice affects speed, control, and style. Through these riders, Ricta became associated with progression and precision. Beyond products and pros, Ricta changed how skaters think about wheels themselves. Before brands like Ricta pushed wheel tech into the spotlight, wheels were often treated as simple consumables. Ricta helped turn them into performance components worthy of serious consideration, much like trucks or bearings. Its emphasis on urethane formulas, terrain-specific design, and specialized wheel families encouraged skaters to choose setups tailored to their personal style. Today, as part of Santa Cruz-based NHS Inc., NHS, Inc. Ricta remains one of skateboarding’s most respected wheel brands. Its lasting impact lies not only in the products it created, but in how it pushed skate culture toward smarter, more specialized equipment choices—making every roll faster, smoother, and more intentional.
