Reportage
Why is the Amazon’s ‘great roar’ river wave shrinking?
Pororoca — Set in northern Brazil’s edge, a miles long tidal bore has become a destination for waveriders attempting its endless surf. But its future is uncertain, as landscape and weather changes have seen its power mellow in recent years.
Written by: Gaia Neiman
Dropping in at Lahore’s first ever public skatepark
Skate Pakistan — Set right in the centre of Pakistan’s capital city, the free-to-use space has started a mini youth revolution in the country. Z. Raza-Sheikh tracks how it came to open its doors.
Written by: Z. Raza-Sheikh
Dredging and drifting with the last wild oyster fishermen of the River Fal
Cornish pearls — Using only the power of the wind and centuries-old traditional techniques, harvesting oysters in the last wild fishery in England is a sustainable, yet dying, practice. Jack Burke goes trawling with Jason, one of the few keeping it alive, to find out more.
Written by: Jack Burke
Inside the London rollerskating scene’s fight for space
Chop & shuffle — A new, young generation is skating with a style unique to the UK’s capital, but they’re up against security guards, dog units, and padlocks. Sunny Sunday reports on the community’s search for a home.
Written by: Sunny Sunday
Inside the shadowy, booming underground world of Urbex
Touching bricks — Spurred by social media success and a desire to live in the physical world, a new generation of teenagers and young people are sneaking into abandoned buildings and documenting their discoveries. Letty Cole goes fence-jumping with two Urbexers to find out more, and gets chased by security in the process.
Written by: Letty Cole
Sumo’s away day shook London. Could it ever take off?
Hakkeyoi — Touching down at the Royal Albert Hall, the Grand Sumo Tournament marked the second time an official five-day tournament has ever taken place outside of Japan. Ella Glossop investigates whether the sport could ever find mainstream success on British soil.
Written by: Ella Glossop
London’s green cabmen’s shelters are filled with history. What does their future hold?
Green oases — For the city’s taxi drivers, the shelters offer a spot to rest, recharge and fill themselves at a reasonable price. But with London’s ever-shifting transportation landscape, the huts could become collateral damage, reports Fred Garratt-Stanley
Written by: Fred Garratt-Stanley
In turbulent Tbilisi, a radio station broadcasts through the storm
Mutant Radio — As Georgia’s political situation has fissured, its capital’s nightlife and music scenes have fostered crucial spaces for community and solidarity. Hester Underhill visits a radio station on the banks of the Kura river, spreading alternative music and culture through the city’s airwaves in the face of protests and government crackdowns.
Written by: Hester Underhill
Revenge of the nerds: Inside the Microsoft Excel Championships
The Obsessives — The revolutionary software turns 40 years old today, and since launching has transformed businesses across the world. But it also has a competitive underbelly, where behind the spreadsheets lies a world of brains, brawn and all-out bloodsport.
Written by: Ginnia Cheng
Tension and togetherness at a rare Syrian hip-hop open mic night
Latakia levels — After half a century under a bloody dictatorship, Syria has endured massacres on an unprecedented scale in recent times, fuelled by sectarian conflict. In the port city of Latakia, Haydar Daoud and his friends spend their days making rap music, an art form mostly misunderstood by Syrians, yet an essential therapy for disenchanted youth.
Written by: Aubin Eymard
Inside the UK Bus Driver of the Year Competition
Terminating here — The annual tournament takes place in Blackpool, where over 100 bus drivers from around the UK are invited to show off their proficiency behind the wheel, from bus stop manoeuvres and the dreaded ‘tailswing test’, to a notoriously hard theory quiz. George Francis Lee reports.
Written by: George Francis Lee
The UK’s oldest weightlifting gym is under threat. Can it weather gentrification?
The weight of history — The Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club has been open since 1926. Emma Fowle meets the people fighting to keep the East End institution, the history it preserves, and the community it serves alive for the next generation of strength stars.
Written by: Emma Fowle
