Death Skateboards has survived it all. Inspiring clannish loyalty from its ratty following, Death has come to characterise British skateboarding at its most resilient and boisterous.
The chap behind this whole circus is Nick ‘Zorlac’ Orecchio – a resolutely unfashionable Italian rascal who created Power Distribution in 1996, a precursor to Death Skateboards. Their suburban Harrow headquarters – the House of Doom – is part distribution centre, part playground and part sanctuary for strays.
Welcome to the first in our This Is DIY series – tales of independence in an interconnected world. In an age of top-down hierarchies and follow-my-lead regimes, more and more people are striking out on their own and igniting projects with the spark of hard graft instead of waiting for corporate say-sos. There are stories of independence in every corner of the globe – people who keep things small and DIY.
Watch out for the print feature in Huck 43.
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In a city of rapid gentrification, one south London estate stands firm
A Portrait of Central Hill — Social housing is under threat across the British capital. But residents of the Central Hill estate in Crystal Palace are determined to save their homes, and their community.
Written by: Alex King
Analogue Appreciation: Maria Teriaeva’s five pieces that remind her of home
From Sayan to Savoie — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. First up, the Siberian-born, Paris-based composer and synthesist.
Written by: Maria Teriaeva
Petition to save the Prince Charles Cinema signed by over 100,000 people in a day
PCC forever — The Soho institution has claimed its landlord, Zedwell LSQ Ltd, is demanding the insertion of a break clause that would leave it “under permanent threat of closure”.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Remembering Taboo, the party that reshaped ’80s London nightlife
Glitter on the floor — Curators Martin Green and NJ Stevenson revisit Leigh Bowery’s legendary night, a space for wild expression that reimagined partying and fashion.
Written by: Cyna Mirzai
A timeless, dynamic view of the Highland Games
Long Walk Home — Robbie Lawrence travelled to the historic sporting events across Scotland and the USA, hoping to learn about cultural nationalism. He ended up capturing a wholesome, analogue experience rarely found in the modern age.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The rave salvaging toilets for London’s queers
Happy Endings — Public bathrooms have long been contested spaces for LGBTQ+ communities, and rising transphobia is seeing them come under scrutiny. With the infamous rave-in-a-bog at an east London institution, its party-goers are claiming them for their own.
Written by: Ben Smoke