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Loaded Ballona Review (Tested & Comparisons)

By Billy James | Updated: September 17, 2023 | Gear

The Loaded Ballona is a compact, agile cruiser skateboard. Its deck is super mellow with a subtle rocker profile. It’s functional for casual cruising and carving.

It’s a solid option if you want something portable, punchy, and fun for cruising. It’s not the board for ollies/ flip tricks since the deck is flat.

loaded ballona

Which setup to choose?

The setups differ in the bushings and wheels. The Moby has the stock Paris 90a barrel and cone bushings and the Orangatang 65mm Fat Free (86a) wheels. The Moby will handle speed better and easier to powerslide.

The Willy has the Orangatang Knuckle 87a orange bushings and the 65mm Love Handle 80a wheels. The Willy will offer a deeper carving experience and grip the pavement more.

If you have a local shop that carries the Loaded Ballona, buy from them.

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Ballona Deck

Length: 27.75” / 70.5 cm
Width: 9” / 22.9 cm
Wheelbase: 14.75-16” / 37.5-40.6 cm
Deck Weight: 2.6 lb / 1.2 kg

loaded ballona deck

It’s cool to see a mini-cruiser that has a flatter profile.

The Moby and the Willy have the same deck shape, just different graphics. The grip tape is slightly grippier than something you’d find on a traditional street setup.

It has a subtle rocker profile, which wedges the front and dewedges the back. So the logic behind that is the front wedge increases your truck angle, which makes it slightly more turny. And the dewedge decreases the back truck angle, which makes it slightly more stable.

The concave is about ⅜” deep, then starts to flatten out towards the nose and kicktail.  

The kicktail exists but is at a low angle, and the nose is even lower.

Don’t expect this to be easy to ollie or do flip tricks. If that’s something you’re looking for, then check out…

Skate Setup Guide
Dial in your skate setup with our free guide that covers decks, trucks, wheels, and more.

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Wheels

The Moby comes with harder 86a Fat Free wheels. They have round lips, are stone grounded, and have a smaller contact patch. It’s easy to throw out and powerslide if that’s what you’re going for.

The Willy comes with softer 80a Love Handles. They have sharp lips and a larger contact patch. Obviously, it’s not as easy to powerslide with the sharp lips and softer duro, but it’s still somewhat doable. They’re mainly for gripping the pavement when doing deeper carving.

The wheels are both 65mm with offset cores.

loaded ballona wheels

Trucks

Type: Paris 150mm 50° RKP

The trucks that come on both setups are Paris 150mm reverse kingpins (RKPs). I believe they picked RKPs over TKPs because it has such a mellow deck profile, and the RKPs are higher off the ground; you can get a beefier wheel.

loaded ballona trucks

Bushings

Shape: Cone & Barrel
Stock Paris: 90a
Orange Knuckles: 87a

90a stock Paris bushings are paired with 65mm Fat-Free (86a) wheels. 87a orange bushings paired with the 65mm Love Handle (80a) wheels. The 87a orange Knuckles will offer a more energetic carving experience but less stable for increased speeds.

Bearings

Type: Built-Ins
Shields: Double-Capped
Material: Chromium Steel

Both setups come equipped with Loaded’s Jehu built-in spacer bearings.

loaded ballona bearings

Alternative Comparisons

Landyachtz Dinghy

Length
28.5″ / 72.4 cm
Width
8″ / 20.3 cm
Wheelbase
14.6″ / 37.1 cm

Loaded Coyote

Length
30.75” / 78.1 cm
Width
8.375” / 21.3 cm
Wheelbase
17.5” / 44.5 cm

Loaded Bolsa

Length
31” / 78.75 cm
Width
9.4” / 24 cm
Wheelbase
16 & 17” / 40 & 43 cm

Loaded Ballona vs Dinghy

The Loaded Ballona has a flatter deck shape and isn’t functional for ollies/flip tricks. Whereas the Landyachtz Dinghy has a higher-angled kicktail/nose, which is more functional for ollies/flip tricks. The Ballona is slightly shorter and wider than the Dinghy.

Loaded Ballona vs Coyote

The Loaded Ballona has a flatter deck shape compared to the Loaded Coyote. The Coyote’s kicktail/nose are higher angles, which is easier for ollies/flip tricks. The Ballona is shorter and wider than the Coyote.

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