The two-week party celebrating spring ended with what may be Spring Back to Vail’s best concert yet — Kid Rock. World Pond Skimming Championships, also on Saturday, was another highlight, followed by Streetwater’s party at Samana Thursday, where artists painted models in competition. Spring Back to Vail is one of those events that makes it hard to say good-bye to the ski season

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Skim 2 da lou, my darlin’

A pool of freezing water is all it takes to get the masses to flock to Vail’s Golden Peak.

OK, the pool at the World Pond Skimming Championships brings the costumes and carnage, which brings the fans.

Saturday the skimmers were out in full force, from the cowboy to Ricky Bobby to the tandem waterskiers getting towed behind a boat.

About a dozen made it across the 100-foot lake while the rest either sunk or kerplunked into water so cold it debilitated limbs.

Under sunny skies and with plenty of libations, the marquee event

of Spring Back to Vail was once again a hit.

— Ian Cropp