Good deeds on RAGBRAI might result in being 'ducked' by Colorado rider

RED OAK — Riders getting caught doing nice things on RAGBRAI run the risk of getting “ducked” — because Elizabeth Sugar Boese is on the lookout.

Armed with 300 rubber ducks she had originally planned to sell during the ride, Boese decided instead to give the ducks out when she sees people doing something nice for others along the route.

“I told someone this morning I will ‘duck’ you if you give me a hug. I needed that,” Boese said Sunday on the Day 1 route from Glenwood to Red Oak.

Other ducks went out to riders who provided a massage to other people, gave directions and offered much-needed sunscreen.

“This is a great way to meet and engage people,” Boese said.

By 3 p.m. on the first day she had already given out 100 ducks and collected a few gifts of own from others — "everything from milkweed seeds to beer koozies.”

“That’s kind of the spirit of RAGBRAI and that’s why it is my favorite week of the year,” said Boese, 50, of Boulder, Colorado.

And spirit is what Boese brings to RAGBRAI, including using pom-poms to cheer people up the biggest hills on the journey — the ride's steepest in history.

Boese, now on her sixth RAGRBAI, said the friendliness of Iowans and fellow riders convinced her in recent years that she didn’t have to tackle the challenge with a team, she could participate on her own.

A confessed traveler who has been around the United States and several excursions abroad, friends in Colorado have asked why Boese would want to go to Iowa.

“It’s because people are so friendly and it is the most amazing time,” Boese said.

Boese said she also appreciates that RAGRAI is a unique experience to everyone who participates.

“For me it’s biking between parties. The journey is what it is all about, but the experience is different for everyone,” Boese said.

And for Boese, it’s also about watching the ride bring out the best in people. She’s watching and she’s armed with ducks when those “Iowa nice” moments happen.

Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com.