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The outdoor retail sector continues to reset following a boom and bust cycle.
The latest chain to feel the impact from the reset is skateboarding and sporting goods retailer 303 Boards. The Boulder, Colo.-based company filed its Subchapter V petition under the name 303 the Hill Ltd. on June 18 in a bankruptcy court in Denver. Subchapter V is a tool that allows firms such as small businesses to file for Chapter 11 because its size makes it unable to afford a regular Chapter 11 filing.
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The filing follows that of boating retailer West Marine, paddle sports equipment retailer Gamma Sports and bicycle retailer Lynskey Performance Products. All three filed their respective Chapter 11 petitions last month.
The petition for 303 Boards listed estimate assets at $85,928, with liabilities at $705,471. The list of the top 20 unsecured creditors did not list any vendors. However, the company website shows that it sells shoes from Adidas, Asics, Converse, DC, New Balance, Nike SB, and Vans, among others.
The retailer closed one store last month, leaving two Denver locations that remain in operation. It’s not the only outdoor sports retailer that has closed a store or two.
Last year saw retailers such as REI and Orvis rethinking their business operations. REI in January 2025 shuttered its Experiences business, and its expected to shutter its SoHo flagship store in New York City on July 23. The Vermont-based Orvis has since closed 31 full-price stores and five outlets, mostly due to the introduction of reciprocal tariffs in April 2025 that forced the retailer to rethink its assortment mix and store base.
And at the recent Switchback’s spring show, there was much talk about the challenges faced by both vendors and retailers.
“With specialty retail, it’s been a tough go, with tariffs, oil prices and [falling] consumer confidence,” said event director Sean Smith. “A lot of specialty retailers need a little boost, a little optimism. That’s where our education comes in, teaching and talking about those issues of the day,” he said referring to the show’s expanded focus on educational programming.
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