It’s a sad day for European freeski fans with this unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected news from the High Five Festival in Annecy, France:

Dear Producers, Athletes and Friends of the HIGHFIVE Festival,

It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the CANCELLATION of the HIGHFIVE Festival 2020. Following many developments and discussions with the authorities, the Highfive Festival Team has decided to cancel this edition.

Despite the health measures put in place by the organizers, the High Five 2020 will not take place due to COVID-19 & the new restrictions imposed in mid-August by the Prime Minister’s announcement on the ban on holding events in more than 5000 people until the end of October 2020. The organizers are thus postponing the meeting until October 2021 where they will celebrate the “true-false” anniversary of the High Five.

Rather than waiting indefinitely to share the news with you, today we wanted to send you this message.This is life and we are well aware that we are not the first to experience these restrictions. We must respect the case of emergency and the regulations imposed.  The High Five has always wanted to be good-natured, multigenerational, so obviously we want more than ever to protect our olders and all festival-goers, riders, partners … with whom we work. Our passion is to bring people together, not to divide opinions. We will keep all of that warm and come back stronger in 2021, hoping we can count on you.– Gaylord Pedretti, High Five Festival founder and Like That agency director