Why are people dragging a duck boat across Boston Common?

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There’s a lot to see on a stroll through Boston Common this Saturday. Early spring blossoms, budding green trees… and a bunch of people pulling a giant duck boat with a rope.

It’s the second annual Duck Boat Challenge, an event put on by the city of Boston to raise money for local youth sports programs. The concept is simple: Eight teams of 10 will take turns pulling a roughly 21,000-pound duck boat along a course on the Common using nothing but a tug-of-war-style rope (and gloves, if they need them). The winning team will get a trophy, medals and a pretty wild dinner party story to share. And it’s completely free to watch.

The whole thing sounds a little odd, but that’s kind of the point, according to Tiffany Clark, recreation resource development manager for the city.

“I don't know if any other person's ever really thought about pulling a duck boat on their own,” Clark added with a laugh. Clark said she wanted to create an engaging outdoor event that felt “uniquely Boston.”

“ The idea was to take something familiar and turn it into some kind of an interactive challenge,” said Clark. “ I wanted to capture what we do here through our sports and recreation programs. We keep kids active and we're teaching teamwork and dedication… And in a way, the duck boat does that, too. We're getting people outdoors and active and connected to the parks that belong to them and their community.”

Each team had to raise $1,000 to participate, all of which goes toward the recreation division. And there’s also a diversity of ages, with participants as young as 16 invited to pull with all their might. “ We have such a great mix. We have local businesses; we have community organizations; we have city departments; we have groups of friends,” Clark said.

But there’s some stiff competition awaiting anyone who chooses to accept  the challenge. Last year’s winners, the Curry College football team, are returning for another shot at the top prize. And they’re taking it very seriously. “We took the gold. We took the bragging rights. We took the Common. It's a done deal,” said the players in a social media video posted on March 16.

“We always stress competition, and we’re excited,” Todd Parsons, coach for the Curry College football team, said. “Our guys had a lot of fun with it last year. They won the trophy, so we take some pride in it and we’re trying to defend it.”

The action begins at 11 a.m. and wraps at 3 p.m. And the forecast is looking bright, with sunshine and temperatures in the upper 50s. That’s much better for spectators than last year’s rain and sleet, Clark said. And even then it didn’t keep them from drawing a crowd.

“We're right in the middle of the Boston Common, so we have people that are just stopping like, ‘why are these people pulling a duck boat?’ ” Clark said. “It created a lot of foot traffic and a lot of commotion. So, we're hoping for the same thing this year. Only with better weather.”

P.S. — The Duck Boat Challenge isn't the only bird-inspired boat making a splash this spring. Next Saturday, April 18, marks the return of the Swan Boats to the Public Garden’s lagoon. Click here to learn more about the history of this flock, which has been around for nearly 150 years.