World’s Largest Rubber Duck trucking into Amherstburg
After months of anticipation, it’s finally coming to our region: That big damn duck.
The World’s Largest Rubber Duck will be floating in the waters off King’s Navy Yard Park in Amherstburg Saturday and Sunday.
It’s all part of the town’s free Canuck It Up! Canada 150 celebration — which includes tall ship tours, lumberjack shows, musical performances, food trucks, a kids’ zone, and more.
But we all know who’s the star attraction. At six storeys tall, this jumbo buoyant bird has been subject to thousands of gleeful selfies while touring Ontario this summer.
We spoke with duck co-owner Ryan Whaley about his gargantuan waterfowl and its strange popularity.
MAMA DUCK
Believe it or not, the duck has a gender. Whaley prefers people refer to the duck as a “she.” Partly because she’s on the water like a maritime vessel, and partly because Whaley considers her a Mama Duck. “I can’t even tell you exactly how she became Mama,” Whaley admitted.
SHE’S NOT FAT, SHE’S BIG-BONED
At 18.6 metres tall, 19.5 metres wide, and about 22.6 metres long, this duck attraction is currently the biggest of her kind. Although she’s basically a vinyl inflatable, she tips the scales at 13,607 kilograms at her full size.
“The duck itself only weighs about a ton,” Whaley explained. “The duck is so large, she’s like a large sail — very susceptible to wind. So under the duck, there’s a steel barge to hold her in place. That’s how she floats in the water.”
AS FAR AS THE DUCK FLIES
It may disappoint you to know that the duck gets between locations in a very un-duck-like manner: She’s deflated and loaded onto a transport truck. When it’s time to set up, Whaley said it takes six to eight hours to get the materials in the water with the help of a crane, plus another two to four hours to re-inflate.
DUCK WARS
Be aware: the duck that will be in Amherstburg is not one of the giant Rubber Duck creations of Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, which he first displayed in 2007.
In fact, Hofman has denigrated the World’s Largest Rubber Duck as a “counterfeit” of his artistic concept. Worse yet, Hofman said the profit-based aims of the U.S.owned duck are contrary to the spirit of the original project.
It’s true that the World’s Largest Rubber Duck is only three years old, and Whaley and co-owner Craig Samborski made her as part of their Ohio-based public relations work. But Whaley insists they’re not copying Hofman. “He has no rights to the duck at all.”
“We’ve had trademark lawyers look into it, intellectual property lawyers look into it. Anyone can build a rubber duck.”
DON’T HATE THE DUCK
Whaley said he knew Mama Duck would be a hit, but even he’s surprised at how much joy she’s been spreading this summer. “We went to Toronto — the waterfront was packed. Throughout the Ontario tour, it’s continued to be very busy. Folks just want to see the duck. It’s been a blast. People are loving it.”
Canuck It Up! festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. King’s Navy Yard Park is located at 242 Dalhousie St. in Amherstburg. Visit www.amherstburg.ca for full festival details including schedule and map. Visit www.thebigduck.us for more about the World’s Largest Rubber Duck.
Dalhousie Street will be closed to vehicular traffic for the duration of the festival. Take the free shuttle to Centennial Park, with pick-up points at General Amherst High School, the Libro Centre, and the Honeywell parking lot.