Cue the duck boats! Tradition lives on for Red Sox victory parade

BOSTON — While the Red Sox are soaking up their huge World Series win, Boston is preparing for yet another rolling rally.

On Wednesday, fans will pack the streets several rows deep for the Red Sox victory parade that starts at 11 a.m., and there's only one thing left to say.. cue the duck boats!

The duck boats have sort of replaced, "I'm going to Disney World!" for Boston teams that win major titles. Boston Duck Tours CEO, Cindy Brown, has seen all 10 previous rolling rallies and has come to expect the phone call the minute a Boston team wins a title.

"It's amazing, like this is a little company in Boston that's worked really hard to make a name for itself and now we do these amazing championship parades," said Brown.

The tradition was started in 2002 after the New England Patriots beat the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl. The honor was given to the duck boats by the late Mayor Menino.

On Monday at the Duck Tours' garage in Dorchester, they were polishing the boats for the big day. Platforms will also be added before the parade so the players can be seen high above the crowds.

The company does it all free of charge, but they know it's the best exposure money can't buy.

Through the years, there have been copycats in other cities, but the original here in Boston is no match for those. And after the Red Sox reversed the curse in 2004, the parades have been particularly special.

For some of the boats' tour guides who grew up in Boston, getting the chance to drive around the hometown heroes in a victory parade is something they could never have dreamed of as kids.

In this year's parade, there will be a fleet of 25 duck boats carrying the World Series Champions.

"I always kind of looked up to the ducks as like the big leagues of tourism in the city," said one of the duck boat drivers, John Young.

"So when I came here it felt like I made the majors. and now i'm going to be driving around these guys who are in the majors."

MORE: Everything you need to know before the Red Sox World Series parade

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