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It turns out the adventure’s not actually over for Next Adventure.
In May, local outdoor recreation retailer Next Adventure announced that all four locations of the store would close this fall when founders Deek Heykamp and Bryan Knudsen retired. A liquidation sale and much online grieving commenced, including an entire page on the Next Adventure website dedicated to customers sharing their best memories of shopping at the store.
Outdoorsy types, your fortunes have reversed.
Heykamp and Knudsen have found new ownership in a group of unnamed local investors. The Southeast Grand Avenue store in Portland and the Next Adventure store in Sandy will both open in November with some longtime managers still at the helm. The news was first reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting.
“We are so excited about the amazing team that has come together to keep the company’s legacy alive. Bryan and I have had a great 29-year run, and we love this business. It’s wonderful to see how many people wanted this community outdoor store to continue on and we know it’s in the very best hands,” Heykamp said in a press release.
Next Adventure will officially begin transitioning to its new ownership Nov. 1, a process that will take about six months. The Sandy store will be open by mid-November, but the Central Eastside store at 426 SE Grand Ave.—including the bargain basement—will be back in action Nov. 1.
As was previously announced, the company’s Scappoose Bay Paddle Sports Center reopened Oct. 1 with new owners and a new name: The Paddle Shack.
