The 2015 World Ski Championships are only 2 weeks away!
Have you ever been to the Olympic Games? Have you ever though how cool it might be to have that opportunity? Well in the ski world the World Ski Championships are an even bigger deal than the Olympics for many reasons. One is that the courses are hard and if you win you KNOW you earned it. This particular Championships is special for more reasons than just being in our beautiful backyard. The US team has a really good shot at dominating this year. We have some local names who are expected to take home a few medals. And, did you know that just like you need tickets for the Olympics, in Europe you need tickets for the World Ski Championships? But you don’t need tickets for the 2015 Vail Beaver Creek World Ski Championships? It is FREE! And, there is FREE transportation between Vail, Avon Center and Beaver Creek to the races! And, there are FREE concerts every night. Okay let’s talk about the concerts. These are headliner bands in a really cool outdoor venue, and there is at least one band that every generation will want to see.
The newest additions to the line up include CeeLo Green, KC and the Sunshine Band, Craig Wayne Boyd and Andreas Gabalier.
Five-time Grammy Award Winning singer-songwriter-producer, television personality, actor, entrepreneur, and pop culture and fashion icon CeeLo Green will take the stage on Valentine’s Day (February 14). Known best for his worldwide hit “Forget You,” which received five Grammy nominations and won the category for “Best Urban/Alternative Performance,” he’ll also perform top hits like “Crazy,” “Bright Lights Bigger City” and more.
The band that many are most excited about is KC and the Sunshine Band.
KC and the Sunshine band have been entertaining audiences around the world for forty years and are slated for a free performance on the evening of Tuesday, February 10. Topping the charts with seven No. 1 singles and three triple platinum albums, including hits like “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s The Way (I Like It),” “Boogie Shoes,” and “Rock Your Baby,” KC and The Sunshine Band defined disco music and forever influenced music with its timeless sound and mission of getting people out of their seats and onto the dance floor to celebrate. Harry Wayne Casey, named “Founder of the Dance Revolution,” and his band will get the crowd dancing with their greatest hits as well as new music from their soon-to-be-released album, Feeling You! The 60s, which is slated for national release on Tuesday, March 10, 2015.
This entertainment lineup will also feature a fresh new artist just coming onto the scene – recent winner of “The Voice,” Craig Wayne Boyd on Sunday, February 8. The Texas-born country singer and multi-instrumentalist will most certainly bring a flare to the Championships, with his easy musical versatility, sure to appeal to everyone’s tastes.
Rounding out this list of heavy hitters will be international sensation Andreas Gabalier, who will take to the free concert stage on Wednesday, February 4. Not only was Gabalier the artist behind the 2013 World Championships’ Official Song in Schladming, Austria, he is also a celebrated folk singer throughout Europe and recipient of both the ECHO music award in folk music category and the Amadeus Austrian Music Award in 2012.
Popular multi-platinum rock band O.A.R. performs Feb. 7.
Yesterday’s announcement adds to the five headliner names previously confirmed for the 2015 World Championships lineup, including Michael Franti & Spearhead on February 3, Mix Master Mike on February 5, American Authors on February 6, O.A.R. on February 7 and Phillip Phillips on February 12. Prior to the nightly festivities, Sierra Nevada Brewery will operate their Winter Beer Camp, opening at 4 pm daily at the International Bridge in Vail.
And, to top it all off the Antlers at Vail is still offering lodging discounts. You will not pay more to be in Vail for this once-in-a-lifetime event than you would during peak ski time any other year. And, think of the memories you will take home! I for one am making plans for which races I will pull my daughter out of school to see and which concerts we will make it out to, so that we can create some new amazing memories.
17 year-old Mikaela Shiffrin hanging out with my daughter’s preschool class in 2012, before raking in the medals.
