CEDAR FALLS -- Boats were everywhere at the 18th annual Iowa Boat and Vacation Show, but the only thing allowed in the water were the ducks.

The boat show is being held this weekend at the UNI-Dome at the University of Northern Iowa. While boats are the dominant theme, given the more than 20 marine dealers at the show, the show has a little bit of everything, ranging from RVs to duck races.

The reasons people dropped by the show are as varied as its offerings. Some, like Ed and Linda Faust of Dubuque, stopped in to get a glimpse of what they want.

"I like to look at the pontoons and dream," Linda Faust said.

They are also gathering ideas for their next boat purchase. While the Fausts already have a bass boat, Ed Faust said they might be getting into something different.

Some people, like Lee and Michelle Panoch of Cresco, came by for their love of the outdoors. "We camp and roam the water a lot," Lee Panoch said.

The couple have their own camper and take their children, Adam and Abby, camping twice a month. With their kids love of fishing, Lee Panoch said he has his eye on a small, flat-bottom boat.

Some came for sheer entertainment. Cheryl Rose, of Dubuque, brought her grandchildren out in what is an annual tradition for her. They have been coming out to the boat show since 2001.

The highlight, however, wasn't the boats or RVs. It was watching her granddaughter, Evelyn Rose-Tolstedt, become a champion duck racer.

"It was really funny," Rose said.

The duck race was one of the biggest draws at the show. The show's organizer, Robert Duck, got into duck racing as a joke because of his last name. He entered his and his wife's pet ducks in a racing contest in Deming, N.M.

"With my name being Duck, we thought, 'Wouldn't it be funny to enter?'" Duck said.

Duck has continued training race ducks since, and said he has won more than $50,000 in prize money.

To get his crop of racing ducks ready, he and his wife raise about 100 ducks per year and train them to race. They keep the 25 fastest and release the remaining ducks into the wildlife. Duck said he takes them on several shows during the year, with 22 shows lined up this year. While the races are occurring, Duck has facts about mallard ducks playing in the background, so the crowd can learn while being entertained.

His tours allow others to try their hand at duck racing, such as Rose-Tolstedt, who won a preliminary race, then the final race for the title.

She didn't even need the training Duck has had. "I've never touched a duck before," Rose-Tolstedt said.

The show continues today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 5-12.

Contact RC Balaban at (319) 291-1418 or rc.balaban@wcfcourier.com.