Vail's record ski season closes out Sunday with free concert, pond skimming championships

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars to rock Solaris at Vail at 5 p.m.

Spring Back to Vail will wrap up on Sunday with the legendary World Pond Skimming Championships and a free concert from Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, marking the end of one of the best ski and snowboard seasons in Vail's history. Sunday will also see the Spring Back to Vail Expo Village and the Men's Journal Lounge at the base of the Vista Bahn Express Lift (#16).

The World Pond Skimming Championships presented by Rockstar returns to the Golden Peak base area for the ninth year on Sunday afternoon. A closing day tradition in Vail, skimmers from around the world will gather in Vail to test their buoyancy on Lake Golden Peak in a spectacle that defies the laws of physics – and sometimes common sense. Competitors will be vying for the top prize – a 2011/2012 Epic Pass and the elusive title of Golden Skimmer. The World Pond Skimming Championships is a wet and wild time for guests of all ages. The venue will open at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon and the competition will get going promptly at 3 p.m.

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars will return to Spring Back to Vail on Sunday for a free concert in Vail Village. The Refugee All Stars played at Spring Back to Vail in 2010, and due to the overwhelming positive response to their concert, Vail decided to bring them back for an encore performance. Formed of refugees displaced to Guinea during the Sierra Leone Civil War, this band's uplifting message and beats make for a live show that is loved by audiences all around the world. The concert venue will open on Sunday at 4 p.m., and singer/songwriter Chris Velan will open the show beginning at 5 p.m.

The Spring Back to Vail Expo and the Men's Journal Lounge will be at the base of the Vista Bahn Express Lift (#16) Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. At the expo village, guests will find product demos and samples from many of Spring Back to Vail's sponsors, like Maui Jim and Muscle Milk. The Men's Journal Lounge, joined by Merrel, will be a place where guests can relax before or after hitting the slopes or even catch a game of foosball.

Spring Back to Vail is the annual festival in Vail to celebrate the conclusion of the winter season, which includes a full schedule of free headliner concerts, nightly parties, the legendary World Pond Skimming Championships presented by Rockstar and more. Taking place this year April 15-24, the lineup of entertainment for Spring Back to Vail spans two weekends and includes free headliner concerts from Train, Stephen Marley, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, The Greyboy Allstars, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, Shpongle presents the Shpongletron Experience, Saint Motel, DJ Logic, Chris Velan and more.

For more information on Spring Back to Vail, including a full schedule of events and registration for the World Pond Skimming Championships presented by Rockstar, visit www.vail.com/springback.