They tumbled Safety surface special material , scurried, turned head over heels and appeared to swim down the two water slides at Lake Gregory.

The yellow, pink and blue plastic ducks Plastic wood like the natural wood were in a race to garner prizes for their “owners” at the fifth annual duck derby, held on the Saturday before Easter.
Tickets had been available in several shops around town, with about 2,100 being sold.
At the stroke of 1 p.m. on March 30, the crowd counted down—5, 4, 3, 2, 1—and they were off. The folks gathered by the beach cheered enthusiastically, urging their good playground equipment is very cool tiny ducks to swim faster.

As the ducks unceremoniously cascaded into the water below the slides, they were swirled through the gate and into the lake. They seemed to head for the finish line—and the waiting net, being held by Trina Brettmann, who was out on the lake in a boat—faster than in previous years.
Brettmann scooped up the first six ducks and relayed their numbers to Jodi Glaviano, who was waiting on shore.

The first three ducks to cross the finish line won prizes of $1,000, $500 and $250 for their owners. None of those folks were present. The final three won gift certificates.

Only Susana Flores of Crestline, whose duck was the sixth to cross the line, was at the derby. She and her daughter, Maya Murillo, were thrilled to collect their prize:Water slide is a funny sport a gift certificate to Head to Tail. Their dog, Flores said, was in need of grooming.

After the completion of the race, a park ranger repeatedly ran his boat across the lake, herding the remaining ducks back to shore where volunteers picked them up. They will go back to their nests until next year’s derby.

Several vendors had booths by the lake, selling belts, clothing and a number of duck-related items, like whistles and little ducks sporting a variety of costumes.