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No Barriers, the showcase and expo for disability sports in the outdoors founded by Mark Wellman and Erik Weihenmayer (the blind mountaineer who climber Mount Everest) have announced that the 2008 event is to be cancelled. In a press release Erik talks about the decision to “postpone” the event until 2009 so that it fits inbetween the 2008 Summer Paralympics and the 2010 Winter Paralympics:

“It has always been our goal to present festivals that offer the most cutting edge technology, widest variety of interactive clinics, hands-on product demonstrations and opportunities for networking, learning and outdoor education. The response to NO BARRIERS FESTIVAL 2008 was simply overwhelming and stretched our resources beyond what we expected. By shifting the Festival to 2009, we hope to broaden our reach and build the No Barriers USA infrastructure to include a larger and greater variety of innovative technologists and technologies, add more international diversity and harness the talents and expertise of a greater number of partner organizations from around the globe. NO BARRIERS FESTIVAL 2009 will continue the momentum created by the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. We also hope to help build the foundation for a successful Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games through international partnerships. We appreciate the support we have received toward FESTIVAL 2008 and ask our sponsors, donors, participants and partner organizations to stand behind us and support our efforts as we prepare for 2009. The No Barriers USA Board of Directors believes that NO BARRIERS FESTIVAL 2009 will be larger and more inclusive than any of our three previous festivals.” 

We attended last years No Barriers in California and can say that the event really is awesome, with new disability equipment on show, sports clinics and instructions (learning to climb with Mark Wellman is worth the trip by itself) plus some amazing talks and films by disabled athletes on their latest endeavors. If you’re looking for inspiration, advice or equipment to make your wheelchair adventure a reality then No Barriers is the place to be.

No Barriers really is a unique event and 2009 should be bigger and better than previous years, no details on where it will be hosted yet (previous years have seen No Barriers in the Italian Dolomites and Californian Squaw Valley), we’ll keep you up-to-date as we learn more.

Check out the video for last years (2007) No Barriers Mountain Festival:

We cant wait for 2009 to come around.

No Barriers