Best Skateboard Wheels (2026): What Pro Skaters Actually Ride

What 202 Pro Skaters Ride

Source: skatesetups.com database · 202 pros with verified wheel brand data · April 2026

Wheel Brand

Brand	Pros	%
SpitfireTop	95	47.0%
Bones	39	19.3%
OJ Wheels	21	10.4%
Ricta	11	5.4%
Pig	5	2.5%
Powell Peralta	4	2.0%
Force	4	2.0%
Gold Wheels	3	1.5%
Other (8 brands)	20	9.5%

Spitfire is the dominant brand in professional skateboarding by a wide margin. Nearly half of all pros with verified wheel data ride Spitfire. Bones holds a strong second at 19%, and together these two brands account for 66% of all pro wheel choices. The remaining 34% spreads across 13 different brands, none with more than 11% market share.

Wheel Size

91 pros with verified wheel size data:

Size	Pros	%
49-51mm	8	8.8%
52-53mmTop	43	47.3%
54-55mm	21	23.1%
56-57mm	6	6.6%
58-59mm	4	4.4%
60mm+	9	9.9%

Average: 53.9mm · Median: 53mm

The 52-53mm range dominates at nearly half of all pros. This size works across street, park, and transition skating, while specialized sizes (very small or very large) only suit specific disciplines.

Note on sample size: Wheel size is verified for 91 of 278 skaters (33%) in our database. Wheel brand data is significantly more robust at 202/278 (73%). Treat size percentages as directional rather than definitive.

Wheel Brand by Discipline

This is where the data gets practically useful. Wheel choice varies by discipline, and the patterns are clear.

Discipline	Spitfire	Bones	OJ Wheels	Ricta
Street	48.8%	17.3%	9.9%	4.3%
Park	42.9%	22.9%	17.1%	11.4%
Transition	43.1%	20.7%	15.5%	6.9%
Bowl	39.1%	19.6%	19.6%	8.7%
Vert	33.3%	29.2%	12.5%	4.2%

Reading the data

Spitfire dominates everywhere but its share decreases as you move from street to vert. In street, Spitfire holds 49% market share. In vert, that drops to 33% as Bones picks up ground, holding 29% of vert pros. The two brands target slightly different terrain preferences.

OJ Wheels has minimal presence in street (10%) but doubles its share in transition disciplines (15-20%). This reflects OJ's reputation for slightly softer wheel options that work better on rougher concrete and provide more grip in bowls.

Wheel Size by Discipline

This is the most striking pattern in the data.

Discipline	Average	Median	Sample
Street	53.1mm	52.0mm	69 pros
Park	54.6mm	54.0mm	16 pros
Transition	55.9mm	56.0mm	31 pros
Bowl	56.1mm	56.0mm	23 pros
Vert	57.9mm	58.0mm	16 pros

There is a clean linear progression from street to vert. Each discipline up the transition scale adds roughly 1-1.5mm to the average wheel size. Vert pros ride wheels almost 5mm larger than street pros on average.

Why size scales with discipline

Larger wheels maintain speed better through transitions and roll over imperfect concrete more smoothly. They also raise board height, which matters less in vert where you spend most time in transitions and matters more in street where you need the board close to the ground for flip tricks.

Practical sizing by discipline

Pure street skating: 51-53mm
Street with some park: 52-54mm
All-around (street + park + transition): 54-56mm
Park and transition focused: 54-56mm
Bowl and vert: 56-60mm
Pure vert: 58-60mm

The Top Pro Wheel Setups

What do the highest-profile pros actually ride? Here are 12 of the most-viewed skaters in our database with verified wheel data:

Skater	Wheels	Size	Discipline
Nyjah Huston	Ricta	52mm	Street
Chris Cole	Wide Boys	52mm	Street
Yuto Horigome	Spitfire Formula Four	53mm	Street
Jamie Foy	Spitfire Formula Four	54mm	Street
Andrew Reynolds	Spitfire Formula 4 Classics	51mm	Street
Tyshawn Jones	Spitfire Formula 4	53mm	Street
Aurelien Giraud	Bones STF	52mm	Street
Eric Koston	Spitfire Big Heads	50mm	Street
Luan Oliveira	Spitfire	52mm	Street
Pedro Barros	Spitfire Formula Four	54mm	Park/Bowl/Vert
Mitchie Brusco	Spitfire Formula Four	56mm	Vert/Transition
Tony Hawk	Bones Rat Bones	60mm	Vert

Note the size pattern. Pure street pros cluster at 50-53mm. Mixed-discipline pros like Pedro Barros sit at 54mm. Vert specialists like Tony Hawk and Mitchie Brusco go significantly larger at 56-60mm.

Spitfire vs Bones: The Two-Brand Question

These two brands account for 66% of pro wheel choices. Here is how they compare in detail.

Factor	Spitfire	Bones
Total pros	95	39
Market share	47.0%	19.3%
Street share	48.8%	17.3%
Vert share	33.3%	29.2%
Top model	Formula Four	STF (Street Tech Formula)

Where Spitfire dominates most strongly

Street skating. Spitfire's Formula Four is the most-cited specific wheel model in our entire database, appearing on dozens of pro setups. Tyshawn Jones, Yuto Horigome, Pedro Barros, Andrew Reynolds, Jamie Foy and Luan Oliveira all ride Spitfire.

Where Bones is more competitive

Vert and bowl skating. While Spitfire holds 49% of street, Bones closes the gap significantly in transition disciplines, reaching 29% of vert pros. Bones STF is also a notable street wheel ridden by Aurelien Giraud, Aaron "Jaws" Homoki and others.

The honest verdict

For street skating, the data favors Spitfire Formula Four. For transition and vert skating, both brands are legitimate choices with Bones gaining share. Neither is objectively better. They suit different preferences. If you want the most pro validation across all skating, Spitfire is the data-backed choice.

OJ Wheels: The Transition Specialist

While Spitfire and Bones dominate overall, OJ Wheels has carved out a specific niche worth highlighting:

Street: 9.9% of pros
Park: 17.1% of pros
Transition: 15.5% of pros
Bowl: 19.6% of pros

OJ's share roughly doubles as you move from street to bowl skating. This reflects the brand's reputation for softer wheel options and grip-focused formulas that work well on rougher concrete and in bowls where slide is less desirable than control.

If you primarily skate transitions, bowls, or rough park terrain, OJ Wheels is worth considering. The data shows pros increasingly choose it as terrain gets more transition-focused.

Wheel Hardness (Durometer)

Our database does not yet track wheel durometer at scale, but the dominant pro wheels suggest clear preferences.

The general rule

Range	Feel	Best for
78a-87a	Soft	Cruising, rough terrain, transition skating that prioritizes grip
88a-95a	Mid	All-around use, beginner-friendly, some park terrain
96a-99a	Hard	Standard street skating, most pro setups
100a-104a	Very hard	Technical street skating, contest skating, smooth parks

Most of the pro models cited in our database (Spitfire Formula Four 99a, Bones STF in 99a-103a) fall in the hard range. This is the street skating standard and provides the slide control needed for ledges and rails.

For most skaters

99a is the safest default. It works for street and most park skating, slides predictably, and provides good roll speed on smooth surfaces. Go softer (88a-95a) if you skate rough concrete frequently. Go harder (101a+) if you skate primarily smooth parks or contest courses.

Wheel Shape

Our database does not yet track wheel shape in detail. The main shapes you will encounter:

Classic: Rounded shape, all-purpose, slightly less contact patch
Conical: Tapered profile, lighter weight, popular in street
Wide / Big Head: Larger contact patch, more stability, more weight
Radial: Rounded outer edge, classic transition shape

Most pros do not strongly differentiate by shape. They ride whatever their sponsor offers in their preferred size and brand. For your first wheels, classic or conical shapes are the safest defaults.

How to Choose Your Wheels

Based on the data, here is a decision framework:

Step 1: Pick your size based on discipline

Pure street: 51-53mm
All-around: 53-55mm
Park/transition: 54-56mm
Bowl/vert: 56-60mm

Step 2: Pick your brand based on style

Want maximum pro validation across all skating: Spitfire (47% of pros)
Specifically into vert and bowl skating: Bones (29% of vert pros)
Skating rough transitions and bowls: OJ Wheels (highest transition share)
Looking for a slightly cheaper option from a reputable brand: Ricta (5.4%)

Step 3: Pick your hardness based on terrain

Smooth parks and contest courses: 100a+
Standard street and mixed terrain: 99a
Rough concrete and bowls: 88-95a

FAQ

What size skateboard wheels do most pros ride? +

Based on our database, 52-53mm is the most common size at 47.3% of pros with verified data. The average across all disciplines is 53.9mm. For street skaters specifically, 52mm is the most common single size.

What is the best wheel brand for skateboarding? +

Spitfire is the most popular brand among pros, ridden by 47% of professionals in our database. Bones is second at 19%. Both are excellent choices. Spitfire dominates street skating while Bones holds stronger share in vert and bowl skating.

What wheel size is best for beginners? +

52-54mm is the safest beginner range. This size works across street and park skating, rolls smoothly over typical skatepark terrain, and is the most common size among pros. Avoid going below 50mm or above 58mm for general all-around use.

What durometer wheels do pros use? +

While our database does not yet track durometer at scale, the dominant pro wheels (Spitfire Formula Four, Bones STF) fall in the 99a-103a range. For most skaters, 99a is the safe default. It is the hardness used by most street and park pros.

Are Spitfire wheels better than Bones? +

Neither is objectively better. Spitfire dominates street skating at 49% of pros versus 17% for Bones. Bones is more competitive in vert and bowl skating at 29% versus Spitfire's 33%. Both produce excellent wheels and your choice should depend on what terrain you skate.

What wheels does Nyjah Huston ride? +

Nyjah Huston rides Ricta wheels, 52mm. He is one of the highest-profile pros not on Spitfire, reflecting his long-standing relationship with Ricta.

What wheels does Yuto Horigome ride? +

Yuto Horigome rides Spitfire Formula Four 53mm 99a. One of the most common specific wheel choices in our database among elite street skaters.

What wheels does Tony Hawk ride? +

Tony Hawk rides Bones Rat Bones in 60mm. A large diameter wheel suited to vert ramp skating. His size choice is significantly larger than street skaters and reflects the demands of vert.

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Data sourced from the skatesetups.com database of 278 professional skateboarders, April 2026. Wheel brand data verified for 202 pros (73% coverage). Wheel size data verified for 91 pros (33% coverage). Wheel hardness data not yet tracked at scale.