Huck 54
Trading in guns for skateboards, no questions asked
Longboarding for peace — The US is awash with guns, with firearms outnumbering people by over 40 million. One San Diego community is offering a unique solution: an amnesty allowing people to drop in a gun and walk away with a gift. But will it be enough to stem the bloodshed?
Written by: Alfred Domenico Rinaldi
How London’s hottest DIY photography gallery was born in a living room
Doomed Gallery has become an emerging photographers’ mecca — Tired of rejection in an elitist industry, photographer Ken Flaherty decided to build an art space in his living room.
Written by: Adam White
The Mongolians turning skateboarding dreams into a new scene in Ulaanbaatar
Young Blood — More than half the population of Mongolia is under 30. Caught between the expectations of their parents and a future only they can see, skateboarders in Ulaanbaatar are breaking from convention to prove their vision is more than just a dream.
Written by: Bejan Siavoshy
Meet Molly Crabapple: The artist resisting authority in all its forms
Gonzo Storytelling — Artist, activist, gonzo journalist, Molly Crabapple has reported from inside Guantanamo Bay armed with nothing but ink and an eye for moral justice.
Written by: Alex Robert Ross
The Swinging Man: Huck meets Henry Rollins
Addicted to movement — From Black Flag to spoken word, travel journalism to acting, Henry Rollins has thrown himself into a spiral of constant reinvention, defying expectations at every turn. Just don’t ask him to slow down or look back.
Written by: Steven T. Hanley
SafeMotos Rwanda: The tech startup taking on Africa’s second-biggest killer
This is Uber, Kigali-style — Road accidents are the second biggest killer in Africa, after HIV/AIDS. But Peter Kariuki and Barrett Nash are defying the stats and fuelling a tech boom with their life-saving app in Kigali – and beyond.
Written by: Alex King
A trip down memory lane with Kano, progenitor of a distinctly London sound
More than grime — He made a name for himself in East London’s grime community, but Kano carved out a long career by refusing to be defined by any genre.
Written by: Shelley Jones
The Brussels teenagers defying cultural divisions
Terror, division, skateboarding and unity in Brussels — Links to the Paris attacks put Brussels at the centre of Europe’s debate on immigration, throwing up some heated questions. Is a lack of integration leading to radicalised teens? But at Les Ursulines skatepark a refreshing counterpoint is thriving, as kids from all backgrounds skate together in peace.
Written by: Alex King
Mongolia’s skate scene is blowing up: here are the videos chronicling it
Embracing a post-Soviet world — The new generation of young Mongolians are the first to be raised outside of Soviet rule since 1924. In Issue 54 – The Defiance Issue, Huck met the Mongolian skate crew determined to change their country's culture for the better. Curated here is a playlist of short films and documentaries exploring the many young people breaking from traditional Mongolian convention.
Written by: HUCK HQ
The punk and riot grrrl sounds driving Beirut’s fearless Roller Derby pioneers
Defiant grrrl power in action — Roller derby has hit the streets of Lebanon. In Huck’s Defiance Issue, we speak to members of Roller Derby Beirut, a pioneering female student collective bringing the sport to the Middle East. Here are some of the local and international bands that could soundtrack them.
Written by: HUCK HQ
How rock is shaping the new Mongolia
More Lennon, Less Lenin — As Mongolia emerges from centuries of isolation, rock bands like Mohanik are helping a new generation find its voice and preserve its unique culture.
Written by: Alex King
The heavy metal bands fighting authority in the Middle East
Defiant Sounds — Huck 54 is packed with stories of defiance, like Iraqi heavy metal band Dark Phantom, whose provocative music rallies against government corruption. Constantly forced under the radar by political leaders and Islamic extremists, they are part of a wave of metal acts fighting the power across the the Middle East. Here are some of the loudest voices.
Written by: Adam White