Introducing the ‘It’s More Than a Game’ issue

Like many people, I first learnt of Jude Bellingham’s stoppage time scissor kick through the ecstatic screeches of my neighbours. Our stream lagged by about a couple of minutes as we sat in our living room, nervously watching the minutes tick down on England’s Euro 2024 round of 16 match against Slovakia. A wildly underwhelming tournament looked set to end with a lacklustre 1 – 0 loss until the towers and the blocks around my north London flat erupted.

When our feed finally caught up, I watched the reason why — heart fluttering, gripping onto our coffee table for dear life, shouting with joy as the Real Madrid Midfielder swung his legs over his head, punting the ball into the back of the net, levelling the scores in the 5^th minute of stoppage time. A minute into extra time, we were right back there, watching Harry Kane header in the winning goal.

A lacklustre final that we deserved to lose (sorry) did nothing to break the spirit of community, joy and hope that coalesced around Euro 2024, played out in cities across Germany. A little under two weeks later, across the Rhineland, the world’s eyes turned to Paris for the Olympics. The less said about the opening ceremony the better, (Celine Dion singing Edith Piaf from the top of the Eiffel Tower notwithstanding), the Olympics made armchair commentators of millions as they watched electrifying performances in the French capital (and beyond), becoming experts in [insert sport they’d never seen before] for an afternoon before swiftly moving on to the next.

The summer of sport has not been without controversy, upset or loss. But amongst it all, it has shown how sporting competitions can bring us together. How it can shine a mirror on us, expose our strengths, lay out our weaknesses and expose our flaws. Sport is so much more than 90 minutes of a football match or 20 seconds of a sprint. It is years of training, opportunity and luck. It is funding decisions made by successive governments, rulings made by sporting bodies and points awarded by judges. It is the breadth and depth of human experience, played out in the twists and tumbles of a dive.

Many months ago, on a rainy January afternoon, Huck print editor Josh Jones and I took refuge in a pub in Notting Hill to brainstorm ideas for pieces that went beyond what you see on your screens. Over a few pints (naturally), we spoke about the ways we could use sport, athletes, and competitions to look back at ourselves and our society, and right there, the ​‘It’s More Than A Game’ issue was born.

Josh has spent many months pulling together the incredible stories within it — whether it’s our cover star Laura Crane’s inspiring journey from pro tour surfing as a teenager to taking on misogyny in the sport, along with the biggest waves in the world at Nazaré, or the B‑boy legend Sheku breaking with the best in the world despite a lack of sponsorship. There are dives into terrace songs and how FIFA soundtracks reflect our view on masculinity to interviews with mysterious Premiership footballer rappers and how dubstep pioneer Joker has used BMXing and Moto Cross bikes to inspire his music. We’ve also got the most gruelling race in the world, women’s football in Zambia, the inspirational Gaza Sunbirds and much more. Throughout the magazine you’ll find stories of hope, of adversity, of passion and pain. You’ll find stunning photography and beautiful design. But most importantly, you’ll find people — in all of their different guises, facing challenges and breaking down barriers.

After an incredible and electrifying summer of sport, Huck 81 is your chance to get in behind the podium finishes. To meet the people, the places and the communities to push boundaries and tell a different story. This is the More Than A Game issue, we’re very proud of it and we hope you love it.

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