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‘Spring Back to Vail’ for two weeks

Caramie SchnellVail CO, Colorado
Special to the Daily
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You know we’re on the home stretch of spring when the snow is more sticky than fluffy, the ground more mud than grass and the two-week bash known as Spring Back to Vail commences.

Ushering in Spring with a mix of live music, parties and on-hill antics, Spring Back to Vail takes place April 2-15. Event highlights include live music, an outdoor Warren Miller movie screening, bar parties and live art battles.

Forget Snoop and the like, if you haven’t heard the big news yet, Highline Sports and Entertainment managed to nab Kid Rock, the Detroit heavy-metal-with-a-side-of-country-rock musician, to headline the annual event.James Deighan, parter in Highline Sports and Entertainment actually flew out to a Bob Seger concert in Detroit to seal the deal because Kid Rock was wavering, he said.”Kid Rock did a duet on Bob’s latest album, who is a childhood idol of Kid Rock, and I knew he’d be there. I was there for 12 hours, went to the concert, flew back and we sealed the deal two days later.”It was no doubt worth the effort, Deighan said.”Spring Back to Vail needs its headliner act,” Deighan said. “(Kid Rock) sometimes has this stigma associated with him he’s loud and obnoxious but really he’s very talented. He crosses a lot of genres and I think it’s because of that that he’s become so incredibly popular – his talent has sustained his popularity.”A beer and b-ball bashIn celebration of the NCAA Finals, Spring Back to Vail kicks off today with a B-Ball and Beers party at the Tap Room in Vail at 7 p.m. A string of Apres ski parties at Los Amigos, Vendettas and The George round out the week (see schedule for more details). Thursday marks the annual Malay Day at Vail Terrain Park. The day celebrates Josh Malay, the Vail team rider who died while snowboarding in Spain in 2004. The event includes the Destroyer Contest, where competitors will compete in pipe, rail and jump jams. There is a “loose” format where prizes are tossed to anyone who impresses the judge team. Registration takes place from 9 – 10 a.m. and the events go from 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. To win prizes you must register ($15 costs) at Golden Peak Lodge. For more information, check out http://www.vail.com or call 476-9090.



Third World, a Jamaican Reggae band that’s been around since the early ’70s, will put on a free concert at Crossroads from 5-10 p.m. on Saturday.”Reggae is so great in the springtime, locals and visitors alike seem to love it,” Deighan said about the decision to bring Third World to town.A screening of “The Director’s Cut of Warren Miller’s 57” will show on a large screen onstage during a break in Third World’s two sets.For the love of the brushThe Streetwater Brush Battle and Body Art competition takes place on Thursday, April 12 at Samana Lounge in Vail. The event pairs three artists with three blank canvases; their charge is to paint the best depiction of the evenings vibe in one hour. The crowd will vote, by applause, for the winner. The body art component comes into play when three artists paint Bacardi girl’s bodies.Why paint women rather than canvases or men? “Well first, they don’t have Bacardi men, only women. But also everyone says the women’s body is more beautiful – a man’s body is more an SUV while a woman is a sports car,” said David Dean, Streetwater gallery owner. The ever-popular World Pond Skimming Championships is on the agenda for Saturday, April 14. Registration for Pond Skimming Champs is full – it filled up in a record six hours Deighan said. The skimmers provide a good show as they strive to prove their water solubility and Deighan is hoping to secure a celebrity judge for the event.”I’m trying to convince Kid Rock to come and judge the competition,” he said. The gates at Ford Park open for the Kid Rock show at 5 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 after April 8. Check out http://www.springbacktovail.com for more information.Caramie Schnell can be reached at 748-2984 or cschnell@vaildaily.com.


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