Duck Racing

What are these two female Long-tailed Ducks up to? It may look like a race but it is apparently a sort of social interaction within a flock. Courtship displays involve a lot of head bobbing and vocalizing, something these ducks were not doing. Was it posturing for pecking order within the flock? Just for fun? Whatever the reason, they made quite a splash. A male had to try to outdo them of course. He “ran” past them before settling down into splashing slide.