What is the ‘skate rat’ archetype?
Punks wearing baggy pants that drag along the floor, collecting dirt and dust with every step? Maybe it’s the rebellious instinct in spotting a ‘no skateboarding’ sign and choosing to anyway. But, what if it’s also a tight-knit community, one where outsiders shunned for picking a different path, forged bonds through that very isolation? Let’s not forget the slurs thrown at them, with “slacker” or “loser” falling on the lighter end of the spectrum.
Skateboarders knew this reality all too well, and Denver skate shop 303 Boards owners Sam Schuman and Sean Gilbert were no exception.
Schuman grew up in Colorado with a love for skateboarding that won’t stop until he’s “forced to.” Back then, when Colorado felt like a traditional Western trope, he found solace in the industrial parks and urban pockets where skateboarders slid down their own rails. It paled in comparison to the 300 skate parks per capita dotting Colorado today, but his small crew of five rolled down every street they could. Sometimes, Schuman even offered up his arm for a new tattoo when one of his buddies needed practice.
That tiny scene made opening a skate shop feel all the more unlikely. But, backed by fellow misfit Joe Gordon and an unmatched passion for the sport, Schuman took the drop and opened the first 303 Boards store in 1997. Needless to say, it was “a horrible business decision at the time,” Schuman remarked.
Their original vision was built out of an office building in Arvada, funded by the wages and tips they made delivering pizzas. The two rotated shifts, where Schuman handled the night owls and Gordon catered the morning crew.
Gilbert, a few states over in Michigan, shared that same fondness for a board and a passion for visual storytelling. He initially moved to Colorado to pursue a degree at a local arts college. But destiny had other plans, placing him in Schuman’s path where he was given the chance to create video titles for 303 Boards. That quickly snowballed into designing graphics, solidifying his bond with the brand.
303 Boards’ street credibility kept climbing in those years, fostering a strong reputation within the rising skate industry. There, the boards always took precedence, but footwear came close behind. After all, some skaters can bust through a pair a month with heavy use. 303 Boards knew this, and soon, big-name companies like Nike did too.
Nike noticed 303 Boards’ budding success and invited them to be among the first shops to carry its debut limited edition skating shoe: the 2002 Dunk SB. It was a cataclysmic move when Nike stepped out of its basketball-focused Air Jordan lane to design a skate shoe built for both fashion and function. That decision sent ripples through the mainstream with games like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, shows like Rob and Big and even the sport’s introduction to the X Games incrementally following suit.
With an acceptance towards skating’s countercultural pulse emerging and attracting less of the “poser” or “wannabe” shoutouts, 303 Boards made a major move.
In 2006, they opened their flagship retail location off Colfax that dripped in classic skate shop swagger. Sticker-covered glass displays, rows of boards and even the faint smell of grip tape filled the air. Though the original co-founder Gordon unfortunately passed away, the shop stayed true to its roots. His legacy lived on through Schuman and Gilbert’s commitment to honoring skate culture as they expanded north to Boulder and, more recently, opened the Annex headquarters location off South Broadway.
303 Boards’ footprint stamped the hearts of everyone, skater or not. Nike and other brands coasted right alongside them too, with coveted new shoes dropping left and right, inviting a fresh crowd into their doors. One enthralled by exclusivity and amplified by social media, known as stan culture, has created a new dynamic that has molded how skate shops operate and thrive today. And, nowhere is this more obvious than at the ritualistic turnouts on shoe drop days at 303 Boards’ Annex location.
Hypebeasts can post outside the Annex for hours, waiting to get their hands on the newest exclusive kicks. Lines sprawl past the nearby Concentra, creep towards the residential apartment buildings and are even visible from Joyhill’s rooftop across the street. Some pass the time by making new friends in line, plotting their resale quota or anxiously gnawing at their cuticles.
This may be some hypebeasts first taste of 303 Boards. But in the chaos, there’s hardly a second to take it all in.
These days, Schuman and Gilbert hustle nonstop with militaristic precision. Their new roles require directing traffic, setting up designated registers and even locking up merchandise for security. Movement in and out remains a priority with every detail dialed to ensure a safe, streamlined experience. If buyers are lucky, a quick glance down at their iced-out Patek watch may be the only moment they notice the rows of boards lining the back wall or the decorative art framing the merchandise.
These shoes leaving 303 Boards can take all kinds of paths. Some get swapped that same day for the right size. Others might pop an ollie. But a few may land in an air-tight, dust free box, far away from the skatepark and listed on eBay instead. These sales undeniably dominate with Colorado’s lucrative shoe market carving out its own place. And, Gilbert’s leadership over 303 Boards’ online presence only fuels those numbers further.
But in a world where things “are supposed to get destroyed, used and broken,” said Gilbert, are now woven in the strings of exclusivity, what does 303 Boards do?
Check the pulse that started it all.
303 Boards’ recognizes the impact that shoe drop days have on their business and welcomes everyone, no matter what. After all, “not everyone skateboards, but everyone wears shoes,” Schuman noted. But true to their commitment to staying hands-on, some drop days remain exclusive to specific brick-and-mortar locations, with their Annex storefront doubling as a community hub. This location features a spacious workshop area that spotlights local artists and even premieres skating films. Future plans include adding a small bar on the opposite side of the current coffee shop, making the space available long after the skateboards get tucked away for the night.
Schuman and Gilbert also know there’s no substitute for a physical shop in a sport built on human connection, with events like “Go Skate Day” or “King of The Hill” in Boulder harnessing that spirit beautifully. Both rally skaters of all levels to ride through the streets as one, with “King of The Hill” even offering cash prizes for winners of select skating contests. Who knows, maybe those winners are the kids of parents who once lingered around 303 Boards themselves, now watching the next generation feel the same rush of ripping around on a board.
303 Boards has come a long way from what was once considered an outcast culture to now being the new golden child on the block. The backbone of skating threaded each of these experiences, with their various locations standing as the physical testament to the sport’s communal soul and transformative power in shaping identity both in and out of the park.
These shifts, especially powered by Nike and other mainstream platforms, boosted skating’s relevance, creating an undercurrent of scarcity that hums beneath the culture. It’s one that now includes consumerism’s final boss decked out in skin-tight True Religion jeans, red Supreme hoodies emblazoned with white lettering and surrounded by a vast web of buyers and sellers at their fingertips.
But, a lingering question rings even louder now between those lines.
What is a ‘skate rat’ anyway?
303 Boards is a Denver skate shop with locations off South Broadway and Colfax Avenue, Denver and 13th Street, Boulder. Their Annex location is at 1288 South Broadway and is open Monday – Sunday from 12 p.m. – 7 p.m.