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I bought a surfskate from Vandem and it was a fantastic experience from start to finish. I found the website product details and blog posts really informative as a starting point, then I dropped them a message on WhatsApp for a bit of advice. Matt picked up the messages and was incredibky helpful, knowledgeable, and responsive, so we quickly settled on the best option for me - he built and shipped the deck next day; it arrived super quickly with a few stickers, bushing and a hand-written note thrown in, which was a really nice touch. What was amazing too, was the after-sale support - I had a few questions about fine-tuning the setup of the board which I sent via WhatsApp and Matt took the time to answer them thoroughly, with an invitation to ask any more as and when they came up. Can't recommend Vandem enough - absolutely fantastic!
- John Stump, July 02, 2024
Product ordered: Carver 37" Bing Continental C7 Surfskate
Loaded Ballona Cruiser Board
The Loaded Ballona - a carefully crafted answer to the mini cruiser market, and we'd expect nothing less!
At 27.75" long this is one of the shorter mini cruisers available, but Loaded have increased the girth to a fat 9" that sits the Ballona in a unique spot, short and fat, a shrimp of a board for a whale of a good time.
The extra width offers plenty of leverage and control for anyone with adult-sized feet but still wanting the smallest board possible.
The "whale belly" spoon nose wedges the front truck slightly for improved steering and enhanced agility, allowing the rear truck to follow the front and feel nimble and stable all at once.
Perfect for everything a minicruiser is perfect for - urban commutes, people-slalom, pumptrack ripping, driveway slashing and general good times. Easy to carry and easy to stash.
Graphics created by Tomás Güereña, inspired by cosmological geometry and the marine environment. Two graphics available - the Moby being everyones favourite whale in geometric simplicity against a beautiful blue woodstain, or the Willy - keeping that whale theme but with a more abstract vibe.
"Loaded Ballona offers comfort and security previously only found in medically prescribed weighted blankets"
We've got 3 setup options for the Loaded Ballona available off the shelf, exclusive to Vandem. If you have ideas for your own setup, feel free to give us a call and we'll see what we can do...
Loaded Ballona Cruiser Board: Precision Complete Spec
The Loaded Ballona Precision complete is the absolute crème de la crème for a mini cruiser, with a focus on deep carves, pumping and speed. A pumptrack champion, a sea front wizard, a commute on clouds.- Wheels: Cult Invader 66mm Longboard Wheels White
- Trucks: Sabre Forged Precision Mk3 Truck 48 150mm
- Bearings: Sabre Built-In Labyrinth Bearings
Loaded Ballona Cruiser Board: Elite Complete Spec
The Ballona Elite complete features juicy aftermarket components for a lifetime of fun, geared towards surfy turns, driveway drifting and smooth rolling.- Wheels: Cult Chronicle 65mm Longboard Wheels White (Stoneground)
- Trucks: Sabre Skateboard Truck 170mm
- Bearings: Sabre Built-In Labyrinth Bearings
Loaded Ballona Cruiser Board: Pro Complete Spec
The Ballona Pro gives you a full Loaded Longboards complete at a more affordable price. Nippy and light, leany and nimble, she'll get you from A to B via Big Fun on any urban journey.- Wheels: Cult Nova 60mm Longboard Wheels White
- Trucks: Sabre Skateboard Truck 170mm
- Bearings: Vandem Value Skate Bearings - ABEC 5
Loaded Ballona Cruiser Board: Loaded Recommended Complete Spec
Loaded's recommended setup for the Ballona depends which graphic you go for.
The Willy comes with Paris V2 Raw 150mm trucks and Orangatang Love Handles in 80A - perfect for grip and speed!
The Moby comes with the same Paris V2 150's, but rolls on Orangatang Fat Free's in 86A. A bit more of a looser, faster rolling and slightly lighter setup!
If you would like other wheel colours or an entirely custom setup, get in touch!
| Length | 27.75" / 70.5cm See similar length boards |
| Width | 9.0" / 22.9cm See similar width boards |
| Wheelbase Adjustment | Yes |
| Wheelbase | 14.75" / 37.5cm - 16.0" / 40.6cm See boards with a similar wheelbase |
| Nose Length - longest wheelbase | 2.5" / 6.4cm |
| Tail Length - longest wheelbase | 5.5" / 14.0cm |
| Truck Mounting | Topmount |
| Deck Flex | Stiff |
| Concave | Mild Concave |
| Deck construction | Maple |
| Profile | 3d, Rocker |
| Wheel Wells | Sanded Wheel Wells |
Is the Elite setup worth the extra £30?
For only an extra £30, you can upgrade the "Pro" setup to the "Elite" Level build.
The Elite setup is a pretty heavy wheel and bearing upgrade over the Pro.
You get Sabre Built-In Labyrinth Bearings - fully shielded, easy to clean, with built in bearing spacers. They roll faster and last longer than the Pro level metal shielded ABEC5 bearings.
The Elite complete also includes Cult Chronicle 65mm Longboard Wheels White (Stoneground), poured from a higher grade urethane. Premium urethane rolls fater, lasts longer, and generally injects a whole new level of life into the board - once you've skated decent wheels, you won't want anything else!
Less obvious is the wheel upgrade. Your extra £30 gets you a set of Cult Chronicle over the Pro build's Cult Nova. Apart from the obvious size difference, the Cult Chronicle are poured from a higher grade of urethane - an invisible difference that you will immediately notice as soon as you push the board off.
Just like the bearings, the wheel upgrade makes your board roll faster and last longer - what's not to like??
If you look at the SRP difference of these components and add them together you'll see that the upgrade from Pro to Elite represents serious value - trust us, it's well worth it.
Coupled with this, we've noticed that almost everyone who makes it into our shop ends up with an Elite setup - the value is clear once you have the board in your hands!
How about the Precision build?
If you're ready to skate the best setup out there the best of the best, step it up to the Precison Build!
For an extra £130, you get a wheel upgarde to a set of super fast Cult Invader 66mm Longboard Wheels White, adding even more roll speed. Bearings are the same as the Elite build, but with a set of Sabre Forged Precision Mk3s.
Given that a set of these trucks would normally set you back £180, that's a serious value for a serious setup!
Customise your ride!
We can change the truck bushings on this board to suit your weight and riding style!
This way your board will come set up perfectly for you, straight out of the box.
Just refer to the table below and make your choice as you add to cart!
| Rider weight | Bushing Hardness |
| 10 - 50kgs | Extra Soft |
| 50 - 72kgs | Softer |
| 72 - 90kgs | Stock Setup |
| 90 - 104kgs | Harder |
| 104 - 120kgs | Extra Hard |
Some other things to consider...
- If in doubt - go softer! Turnier boards are easier to balance on, and a lot more fun to skate.
- If you are "between hardnesses," we would recommend the softer option. So for example, for a 73kg rider, "Soft" rather than "Stock Setup" might be a better choice. Get in touch if you're not sure!
- if you want a very turny board - say for a dancing longboard - then it's worth going one stop softer than you otherwise would do. Watch out for wheelbite though!
- Likewise, if you want a board for downhill speed, then go up a step harder than the weight table suggests.
- You do have a bit of adjustment in the truck's kingpin nut, but we would suggest that if you have more than two threads showing then it's time to go to a harder bushing.
- If you already have a board (or some trucks!) and you would like to change your bushings to suit your weight, check out our truck/bushing compatability chart!
Loaded Ballona Cruiser Board Reviews
United KingdomWonderful stable fun
This board absolutely rocks. It’s tiny but manages to feel as stable as a longboard. Might be the sabre precision trucks and cult invaders. I’ve tried other mini-cruisers and always found them twitchy, the Ballona is in a different league. Top build from Vandem, fast delivery and all the other good stuff I’ve grown to expect from this independent shop. Top marks.
Loaded Ballona Cruiser Board: Cheaper Elsewhere?
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