What the duck? A Myrtle Beach Jeep Jam guide to the viral game involving rubber birds

As Jeep drivers descend on Myrtle Beach for Jeep Jam 2024 , the Grand Strand can expect a whole lot of bathtime birds.

Organizers expect more than 30,000 people at the event, which runs from Friday, Oct. 25, through Sunday, Oct. 27, but there’s no telling how many rubber ducks will attend.

Duck Duck Go, a game where Jeep owners leave each other rubber ducks, has exploded in just four short years, cementing ducks as an iconic part of Jeep culture.

“The whole thing is about one Jeeper giving another Jeeper a random gift because they think their Jeep is nice, and it has just exploded into this whole phenomenon,” Jeep Jam emcee Tom Lorenz said. “It’s unbelievable how big the ducks have become.”

The ducking start

Canadian Jeep driver Allison Parliament started the trend in 2020 with a random act of kindness. When Parliament came across a Jeep like her own, after suffering a scary encounter with a stranger, she decided to leave a rubber duck on the car to spread some positivity, according to the official Duck Duck Jeep website .

The other Jeep owner saw Parliament with the cheery yellow duck and shared it on social media. After the post went viral, the Duck Duck Jeep game took off and Jeep drivers have been “ducking” each other ever since. The movement has even migrated to other countries and cars.

“A duck is a great icon to use, because it’s a friendly, non-harmful creature and most people love ducks,” said Lorenz, who interviewed Parliament in May. “So now her act of kindness has spread into this phenomenon that is all over the United States and has now spread to other vehicles, other than just Jeeps.”

Parliament passed away in June, but her legacy of positivity and kindness endures. There will be a tribute to Parliament at this year’s Jeep Jam, which Lorenz said she planned to attend.

“Her impact is long lasting … I don’t even think Allison expected it to get as big as it did, and it continues to grow big,” Lorenz said.

What happens to the ducks?

Jeep owners affectionately refer to dashboards with rubber ducks as duck ponds. After being left on a Jeep, a rubber duck might permanently relocate to the vehicle’s duck pond.

But some ducks’ journeys don’t stop there. Instead, a duck might be gifted again and circulate throughout the Jeep community.

“A lot of folks, what they do is they’ll get their ducks from other people, and they spread them along to other folks,” said Lorenz. “So it’s this reciprocal state of spreading kindness and positivity.”

What’s the best way to get ducks?

Far from the classic rubber duck Parliament first gifted, these days you might get ducked with themed, colorful and blinged-out rubber ducks. Some drivers decorate or custom-order rubber ducks with messages, religious quotes, contact information and more.

Lorenz estimates he’s amassed 300 to 400 rubber ducks. If you want to grow your flock, there are two strategies to try.

“I know some people that have received thousands of ducks, and so they go to the different Jeep events in the country specifically to duck up, to get as many ducks as they can,” Lorenz said.

As one of the largest Jeep gatherings in the country, Jeep Jam is a surefire place to start or build your collection.

Whether you’re at an event or parked on a random street, some Jeeps collect more ducks than others. According to Lorenz, the more decorated or customized the Jeep is, the more ducks it’ll get. Ducking can be a way to leave a wordless compliment, so eye-catching Jeeps tend to rack up more kudos.

But don’t fret if your Jeep isn’t tricked out. Lorenz says ducking is for everyone.

“What’s interesting about this is the standard Jeeps, Jeepers that just don’t do anything to the vehicle, they receive ducks too, from people, just because other people love the Jeeps, and Jeep has its own culture that’s been created,” said Lorenz.