Subculture
In west London, Subbuteo is alive and flicking
London Subbuteo Club — The tabletop football game sees players imitate vintage teams with tactics and tiny painted replica kits. Ryan Loftus takes a trip to Fulham to meet a dedicated community and witness a titanic Brazil vs Coventry City showdown.
Written by: Ryan Loftus
Inside the fast and furious world of London’s oldest Scalextric Club
Buzz & whir — First opening in 1977 in north London, members meet every Tuesday to race carefully customised and handcrafted slot cars around a 34-metre plastic track. Ryan Loftus attempts to take them on.
Written by: Ryan Loftus
Slap fighting is having a moment. But is it safe?
BritSlap — The booming underground sport sees two competitors take turns striking each other without defending themselves. Critics warn of concussion and long term brain damage, but its devotees see it as a release. George Nash reports from a Liverpool meet, which includes the first ever female fight.
Written by: George Nash
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
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
Inside the bedrooms of American youth during the ’80s and ’90s
Teenagers in Their Bedrooms — Before the turn of the millennium, photographer Adrienne Salinger noticed that a creative, opinionated cohort were underrepresented in wider conversations – Gen X teens. Pictured in their home sanctuaries, they form a luminous portrait of subcultures and styles of the time.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Inside Japan’s ’90s gabber and hardcore underground
Manga Corps — A new book published by Italian hardcore artist Gabber Eleganza archives ephemera and flyers from the early days of gabber and hardcore from Tokyo and Osaka, which has gone on to have an outsized influence on popular music today.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The Tossers: Inside the world of competitive egg throwing
The Obsessives — From Russian Egg Roulette to the showpiece Throw and Catch, the World Egg Throwing Championships is a cracking tournament. Ginnia Cheng joined this year’s edition, and scrambled to keep up.
Written by: Ginnia Cheng
The grit and glory of British toe wrestling
The Obsessives — Born out of a Derbyshire pub in the ’70s, the foot clenching sport has gradually built a cult following in rural England. Ginnia Cheng reported on toe wrestling’s London debut from a south Tottenham pub.
Written by: Ginnia Cheng
Is skateboarding really a subculture anymore?
With skate’s inclusion in the Olympics, Kyle Beachy asks what it means for the culture around the sport, and whether it’s possible to institutionalise an artform.
Written by: Kyle Beachy
India’s bodybuilding boom reflects a nation flexing its muscles
Huck’s debut feature documentary reveals how young Indian men are willing to turn their backs on tradition and compete for a better life – even if it means sacrificing their health.
Written by: Alex King
In photos: Three decades of Glastonbury Festival’s people and subcultures
A new photobook explores the unique cultural experience and communal spirit found at the UK’s largest festival.
Written by: Isaac Muk
