Exploring the Cumbrian Skate Scene, Episode 1: Barrer Cvlt
Here in Cumbria, the rural nature of our county can often leave many of us feeling like not much is going on.
This was especially true for Kieran McDonald. Leader of Barrer Cvlt, the small independent skateboard collective based in Barrow, Cumbria.
Barrer Cvlt emerged from a DIY skatepark created ‘by the homies, for the homies’ after Kieran moved to Barrow from his hometown, Huddersfield, to live with his girlfriend and start a family.
In comparison to Huddersfield’s thriving skate scene, Kieran found that Barrow had no scene to become involved in and as a result, decided he wanted to bring that Huddersfield energy to Barrow.
‘There wasn’t really a skate scene, nothing was really happening. I’d go out all the time skating and not really see anyone.’
‘It was pretty hard at the beginning, obviously being a stranger not from Barrow and trying to convince people to come and skate and everyone was a bit like ‘oh, I don’t know', but I eventually got trust from some people.’
To begin with, Barrer Cvlt began as DIY that Kieran and his newfound group began working on.
After finding a plot of land, they began building ramps made out of concrete, and as word spread of the DIY, more people started to come along.
‘I was teaching them how to mix concrete, how to make ramps, and yeah, skate weird stuff really.’
‘The people that came and helped became Barrer Cvlt basically. Most people say I kind of helped rebirth it all, but I’m too humble for that, so I’m just like yeah, It kinda happened at the right time and right place I guess.’
For Kieran, skateboarding has always been a positive in his life.
‘I was just addicted from day one, anything that was happening back home or on the estate wasn’t interesting anymore, I was just like ‘this is what I want to’. I just couldn’t imagine not skateboarding.’
Make sure you head over to our YouTube to check out our full video with Kieran.
All images and videos belong exclusively to Barrer Cvlt and Kieran McDonald.