Ricta Wheels – Wireframe Sparx (99A) Designed for dependable everyday performance, the Ricta Wireframe Sparx wheels combine a versatile shape with proven urethane for consistent results across street and park skating. The mid-width profile offers a balanced feel, providing a combination of stability and responsiveness suited to a wide range of setups. This shape supports controlled riding without sacrificing maneuverability, making it a practical option for all-around use. Manufactured using 99A urethane, the Sparx formula delivers a firm ride that rolls smoothly on clean surfaces while maintaining speed. The hardness also allows for predictable, controlled slide when required, supporting technical skating and park riding. Specifications: Hardness: 99A (hard) Shape: Mid-width profile Material: High-quality urethane Performance: Smooth roll with consistent speed and slide Use: Suitable for street and park skating Designed for skaters seeking a reliable, well-balanced wheel at an accessible price point, the Ricta Wireframe Sparx wheels offer consistent performance for everyday sessions. 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.
