A new breed of sport magazine has hit the newsstands. These bespoke publications are not the product of a big media conglomerate, but published by and tailored to those passionate fans who want a different point of view than your typical sports magazine. With an artful approach, bold yet unconventional photography, and words spoken softly over the roar — each of these delivers those stories that often go untold with a journalistic and visual appeal that transcends the sport itself.
ATHLETA
All Sport
Published in both Italian and English, this biannual publication is picture driven with raw and beautiful images that capture the unique nuances distinctive to the different sports it features. Through the people, places, things you find in every sport culture, Athleta captures those moments that celebrate the passion, resilience, and glory in sport, to offer an intimate look into the lives of extraordinarily inspiring athletes. athletamag.com
RACQUET
Tennis
Racquet is a quarterly magazine that celebrates the art, fashion, and culture that surround tennis. Fondly remembering the tennis boom of the 1970s and ’80s, Racquet tells the stories of those superstar players — the style, tournaments, courts, and clubs — and features beautiful vintage photography and illustrated graphics that celebrate the modern tennis landscape as well. Published in a smaller journal size format, each issue feels like a special collector’s item. racquetmag.com
FRANCHISE
Basketball
Franchise is an LA based print publication dedicated to global basketball culture. Oversized in a 9.5 x 13″ format, the magazine takes an artistic approach to the game. Massive spreads are filled with enthralling photography and stand-alone illustrations that celebrate all those who play – from the NBA to your local pick-up game. Founded by a collective of players, artists, and writers, Franchise documents the stories, characters, and ideas that shape the game of basektball and presents a new perspective on the sport. thisisfranchise.com
VICTORY JOURNAL
All Sport
Another tabloid sized publication, Victory Journal spotlights the passion and drama of athletic pursuits around the world, and wows the reader with incredible full bleed images that capture every detail of the sports featured. Athletes and competitions not seen elsewhere are glorified in the pages of Victory Journal with extensive reporting, probing personal essays, and award-winning photography. Published out of Brooklyn, NY, it’s tagged the “journal of sport and culture”, but where the New Yorker meets Sports Illustrated is where you’ll find Victory Journal. victoryjournal.com
RUNAWAY
Running
If you’re a runner and adventurer, Runaway is the publication you’ve been waiting for. As much a travel guide as a magazine, Runaway is dedicated to a different city every issue. Mapping sightseeing routes to run, running groups to join, and races to enter, Runaway highlights the running culture in each destination. Beautifully designed and strikingly photographed, the magazine features local runners, current affairs, culture, art, food, and more from the street, and aims to serve an inspiration to run and explore. runawaymag.com
ROAD GRAYS
Baseball
Road Grays is subtitled “The Magazine for Curious Baseball Fans”. With the first issue on newsstands, Road Grays is a new independent magazine about baseball, focused on the human stories behind the game, and how they intersect with society and culture. From the sandlot to the majors, early days to the present day, the magazine features all those insider stories, tidbits, and memorabilia that fans of the game love. Beautifully designed, photographed, and illustrated, the magazine is printed on premium paper and in a smaller format like Racquet, that also feels like a keepsake. roadgraysmag.com
SIDETRACKED
Outdoor Adventure
Sidetracked is an outdoor journal filled with personal stories of adventure travel and extreme sports, that presents those narratives in the most compelling and visually stunning way. Published three times a year, the magazine shares stories of physical endurance, inspirational journeys, and emotional discovery, told by a global group of adventurers, writers, and photographers all seeking to shatter boundaries. sidetracked.com
HOWLER
Soccer
Made in the USA, Howler is a quarterly magazine about soccer — artistic, contemporary and refined — that speaks to fans of the game through insightful journalism, stunning photography, and satirical illustrations. Celebrating the most popular sport in the world, Howler has created a completely unique soccer magazine with a distinctive point of view that discerns and dissects all those elements of the sport over which fans love to obsess. whatahowler.com
MODERN HUNTSMAN
Hunting
Modern Huntsman exists to be a place where both hunters and non-hunters can come together on the topics that unite us rather than oppose — such as wildlife conservation, public land access, and ecological sustainability. Presented with breathtaking landscape photography, and a refined design, this is a magazine geared towards your upmarket Orvis and Filson consumer, that presents its subject matter under the code of ethics that have made the outdoor culture a part of American heritage. modernhuntsman.com
CADDIE
Golf
Out of Australia comes this biannual golf and lifestyle magazine, that gives an indie mag treatment to this mainstream sport. Unlike your typical golf magazine, there are no swing tips, club reviews, or profiles of pro golfers. Caddie takes a more introspective journey to celebrate the unexpected and untold stories that happen behind the scenes, on the fringe, and in the rough. From scratch players to those who have never teed off, Caddie aims to elevate the game of golf with a fresh feel, surprising photography, and captivating writing that speaks to anyone who enjoys a good story. caddiemag.com
SURFERS JOURNAL
Surfing
The Surfers Journal is not a new magazine. It has been in publication since 1992, yet has always been atypical of a surfing magazine. It is a unique form of periodical – a cross between a soft-cover book and a magazine. As a reader-supported surf publication, with just six sponsors in each 132-page issue, The Surfers Journal is almost all editorial and features uninterrupted those timeless stories and photographs that get little attention in other surf mags.
SOIGNEUR
Cycling
Published in the Netherlands since 2012, Soigneur pays homage to the breadth of the sport of cycling all over the world. With its own independent editorial platform that celebrates the culture of cycling, each issue brings together tales of the past and present, pros and amateurs, local races and the most famous Tours — with words and images that put you right there in the saddle. soigneur.nl
